Fire, Whiskey, and Red Pens
by skittlesmomma27
Summary: Both Edward and Bella have had a hard start to adulthood but both are doing great and learn to lean on each other as their relationship blossoms. How will Bella deal with Edward's demanding lifestyle? How will Edward deal with the real laid back down to earth homebody Bella? All Canon couples. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**I would like to welcome back all previous readers/followers from my previous stories. I hope this one lives up to everybody's expectations. This story has been literally pounding against my brain for over a month now demanding to be written and expressed. So here it is.**

**I couldn't have done this without my prereader and newfound friend, cullengirl08**

**Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight, not I.**

**Any mistakes are my own and I 100% completely own each and every one of them.**

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Chapter 1

Friday, January 6, 2012

EPOV

The night was extremely busy and I wouldn't have it any other way even though I was running on about 5 hours of sleep within the last 24 hours. I stood back and just took a quick glance over my baby, my pride and joy, _Breaking Dawn_.

I had opened the club a little over a year ago and had worked my ass off to make it what it was today. When I had bought the building almost 2 years ago it was close to being condemned and torn down to be replaced with a new set of high rise apartment complex. Like downtown Houston needed any more of those. I had stepped in and used the money from my inheritance and had bought the entire block of buildings and began renovating them all in between my shifts at the fire house.

I had sunk a lot of money into mainly this building because she was my pride and joy and had sold or rented the rest of the buildings to new business owners trying for a chance in this dwindling economy. My best friends' girlfriend, Alice Brandon, owned the 2 stores beside the club which she had turned into a boutique and a café.

My buddies Jasper Whitlock and Emmett McCarty bartended and bounced for me on our nights off from the fire house. Our first job was as firefighters to greater Houston area and we all loved it. It hit really close to home for all of us. Jasper had lost his parents in a tragic house fire when he was just a baby. Emmett's family took Jasper in and eventually adopted him so it is close to Emmett's heart also.

For me, it's a little more complicated than that and I prefer to not think about it at all. Anytime I thought about that night, the night that led me to flee my home of Chicago, Illinois, I usually had a massive panic attack and was rendered useless for hours as I became overwhelmed with guilt.

I had met Jasper my freshman year at the University of Houston and we became roommates the second semester when his roomie had snuck into his bed late one night because he swore that Emmett batted for the same team. We still laughed over that night, much to Jasper's dismay.

Emmett's loud whistle gained my attention and I snapped my head up and in his direction of the front door to see him motioning that we were full to capacity and had a line wrapped around the block. I nodded and started slamming out drinks as fast as I could and left Emmett to deal with the people standing outside in the frigid January air.

"Jazz!" I hollered down the bar to Jasper. When I had his attention I swept my hand through my hair which was my sign for that we were full. He nodded and began slamming shots down on the bar and filling them in rapid succession.

"Hey Edward, can I get a Southern Kiss?" was asked from behind me and I was stunned stupid as the most gorgeous woman I had ever laid eyes on leaned across the bar so she could order her drink.

I smiled at her and nodded before I began to fix her drink. This particular drink came with a surprise that would get me 1 of 2 things: either slapped or laid.

I finished her drink and sauntered her way smirking at her as she smiled even though she had the most beautiful blush covering her cheeks.

"I will give this to you on one condition, beautiful." I said to her as I held the drink just out of her reach.

She smirked back at me before leaning further over the bar and whispering back to me. "What's that barman? You better be prepared for me when you make your request." She told me saucily.

I smiled and slid her drink to her before I took a chance and grabbed her face in my hands and planting a kiss on her lips. Since she didn't slap me I tilted my head and took another sampling of her lips which earned me a moan and a nip to my bottom lip from this beautiful stranger.

I swiped my tongue across her lips, just to see how daring she would really be. She moaned and placed her palm against my chest and pushed me backwards. I broke the kiss and tried to back away from her but she held tight to my HFD shirt. "That was amazing, Edward. Thank you for the drink." She said as she licked her lips and turned around to face the other 2 girls that I hadn't seen until just then.

I groaned and made my way back to my station as I heard Jasper laughing from his end of the bar. "That's gonna get your ass kicked one of these days, dude." I nodded because I knew it was true. I had been lucky so far, since most married or taken women didn't frequent out this late at night. I smiled to myself and began shoveling out the drinks again.

BPOV

"Angie, do we really have to go out tonight?" I whined for about the 5th time in the past hour. It was Friday night and I had a shit ton of papers that I needed to get graded before Monday morning. I taught advanced placement senior English at Saint Mary's private school in Houston, Texas.

I had just moved here 6 months ago and I had immediately felt like this is where I belonged. Ever since that fateful night that forced me to leave my dreary hometown of Forks, Washington I had been searching for a place that would feel like home to me and I had finally found it. In Texas of all places. When I left Washington, I followed my boyfriend of 2 years to Louisiana, where we attended LSU together and lived in a small apartment off campus. That was until I came home one night from my shift at Curly's Café to find him in bed with our next door neighbor, Sam.

I had packed my shit up while he was laying in bed writhing in pain from the crystal horse statue that I had thrown at his junk and for once in my life I had perfect aim. I had moved into a hotel for about a week looking for an apartment so I could finish my education. At that point, I only had 1 year left which I finished in 8 months thanks to fast track classes. I had graduated with a master's degree in English and Education and had been granted a spot at the local high school as the AP English 12 teacher. I had taught there for 2 years before finally giving into the unsettling feeling of not belonging and began searching out other job opportunities, which led me to Saint Mary's private school in Houston, Texas.

The head master at Saint Mary's had offered me a deal that I couldn't pass up. A salary almost double what I was making working in the public school system of Louisiana and also moving expenses paid for. I had driven out of Louisiana the same night that I had posted my final grades for the year and hadn't looked back since.

"Yes, we have to go out. You haven't been out since you moved here and you are young and beautiful and need to get laid." Bree told me as she flipped through magazines while she waited for me to throw on some 'club appropriate' clothes.

I stomped my foot in irritation at my 2 fellow teachers, and best friends but I loved them anyways. Yes, I was 24 years old and I stomped my foot. I had to find something that I would feel comfortable in and sexy in all at the same time, so I finally settled on a short white skirt with frayed edges along the bottom, a dark purple corset like top that ended about an inch above the waistband of my skirt and barely covered my boobs, my purple/brown cowboy boots, and some hoop earrings. I walked out of my bedroom and Bree and Angela whistled as they stood up.

"Damn, B, looking fine. You sure you won't bat for the other side for just 1 night?" Bree asked as she made a small tight circle around me trailing her fingertips along the skin at my waist that my clothes exposed.

I chuckled because I was used to Bree hitting on me, hell she had been doing it since I walked into her on my way to my classroom the very first day of school. She was the science teacher and taught right across the hall from me. "Nope, sorry, Bree, not tonight. I just figured if I was gonna go to hell, I might as well do it fully."

They laughed at me as we made our way to _Breaking Dawn_, this club that they both raved about.

We didn't even have to wait in line, Angela and Bree grabbed my hand as I went to stand at the back of the line which was ridiculously long. "Nope, B, we don't wait here. Em will let us right in, watch this." Angela said as they sauntered and practically dragged me to the front of the line, completely ignoring the comments and glares we were getting.

"Hey, Emmie Baby!" Bree said as she let go of our hands and ran full force at the behemoth of a man standing at the front of the line. I gasped as she launched herself into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Bree, baby, what y'all doing out and about tonight?" He asked as he patted her on the ass and placed her back on her feet.

"Oh, you know, trying to get our good friend B here laid tonight. I figured this was the place to be." Angela said as she hugged the huge guy. "Emmett, this is Bella. Bella, this is the coolest bouncer in the world and biggest teddy bear, Emmett." Angela said as she introduced us.

I nodded and stuck my hand out to shake his hand. He shook his head and wrapped me up in his arms and lifting me completely off my feet. "Bella baby, nice to meet you. You ladies be nice and take it easy on the bartenders." He said as he sat me back on my feet and ushered us inside amid the complaints of the men and women who were waiting outside in the cold still.

I smiled and waved at Emmett before following Angela and Bree into the vibrating packed club. Angela fell back beside me and whispered in my ear. "Bella, you gotta try the Southern Kiss. They are amazing." She said and I nodded as we made our way to the bar.

When we found an empty spot, we scooted in and I tried several times to get the attention of the bartender but he was very busy serving drinks. I ogled the sexy bartender as I attempted to get his attention. He wore loose fitting jeans that were riding low on his hips, ruffed up cowboy boots and a HFD t-shirt that stretched tight across his chest showing his defined chest and arms. "This is useless guys, he is way too busy to even notice us." I complained to them after the 5th failed attempt.

"His name is Edward, get his attention and then he will get you whatever you want." Bree said as she turned to face the club.

I felt my telltale blush heat up my cheeks, shook my head, took a deep breath, and told the girls to 'cover my ass and don't let it shine to the whole world' before I leaned onto the bar on hollered at Edward.

"Hey Edward, can I get a Southern Kiss?" I asked him as I remembered that Angela had said they were amazing.

I was a little taken aback by the smirk on his face as he began to fix my drink. He sauntered over towards me as I still leaned on the bar with my boobs practically falling out onto it. "I will give this to you on one condition, beautiful." He said with his smirk still in place as he held my drink just out of my reach.

He really was even more sexy up close. His eyes were a dark green that looked like they could pierce straight through to your soul and his hair was a crazy mess atop his head but he was so very sexy. I smirked back at him and leaned even further over the bar until I was close enough that he could hear me clearly. "What's that barman? You better be prepared for me when you make your request." I told him huskily.

I don't know what came over me but if he wanted to play, I was willing to play back. I could do so much worse than this fine specimen of the male population.

He slid me drink beside me and clasped my face in his hands and planted his lips against mine causing me to moan. I had not been expecting this at all, but damn that man had some silky lips. I was too stunned to do anything but be still for fear that he would break the kiss too soon.

I enjoyed the slight layer of stubble gracing his chin and cheeks. Jake had always religiously shaved twice a day because he hated the stubble on his face. I liked the feeling of it scraping gently against my cheeks and chin as he kissed me.

He surprised me by tilting his head and moving his lips against mine, like he was sampling me for dinner. I nipped at his bottom lip as he tasted my top one and moaned against him and placed my hand against his shirt and clenched it in my fist.

I moaned again as he swiped his tongue against my begging for entrance but even though I wanted him now with every fiber of my being I couldn't just give in that easily so I pushed against his chest to break the kiss. I held onto his shirt to keep him from just disappearing. "That was amazing, Edward. Thank you for the drink." I told him huskily as I licked my lips and slid back off the bar and turned to face my girls who squealed and began asking what came over me.

EPOV

I groaned quietly as I continued to watch the beautiful girl from earlier grind all up on her 2 girlfriends out on the dance floor. Seth walked up behind me and clapped me on the shoulder.

"I got this, boss. Go get her." He said as he playfully shoved me out of the way. I glared at him playfully as I whipped the towel out of my ass end pocket and tossed it to him.

"You better hope and pray that she's not taken or gay." I growled at him. Seth has been my right hand man behind the bar since I had first opened the doors to this wonderful oasis. Besides Em and Jazz, I considered Seth my next closest friend and he ran the bar while I was at the firehouse.

He just laughed and began taking drink orders from the eager customers. "She hasn't taken her eyes off you since she walked away earlier."

I nodded and lifted the counter so I could walk out to the dance floor and get the girl. She was dancing behind one of her girlfriends with their hands intertwined above their head so they couldn't see me coming.

I walked right up behind her and pressed myself flush against her back and placed my hands on her hips as I grinded with her. I felt her stiffen momentarily until I leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Hello, beautiful. Dance with me?"

She let go of her friends hands and reached back to lace her fingers behind my head and lay her head on my shoulder, rubbing her face against my stubble covered one, as she ground that amazing bubble ass back into my tightening jeans. "Hmm…Edward. Aren't you supposed to be working?" She asked as she arched her back to press her ass further into me.

"Nah, the boss around here is a pretty laid back dude." I told her suspiciously. Not many people outside of my friends knew that I owned this place, they just thought I worked here and I liked it that way. This way I knew what people really thought about the place instead of the sugar-coated opinion of someone trying to suck up to me because I owned the joint.

"Well that's good, because I may not give you back until tomorrow." She said huskily against my ear as she straightened her back and leaned back fully into me as a slow song came over the speakers. I had always played an eclectic mix of music and at this moment Police's _Every Breath You Take_ was being crooned from the multitude of speakers hidden throughout the room.

"Really? That sounds entertaining, beautiful." I whispered against her neck as I snuck my pinky's beneath the waistband of her severely short skirt. I felt her moan as my chin brushed against her neck and got the distinct feeling that she liked my stubble. There weren't a lot of people that could tolerate it.

"Oh it can be, Edward." She said breathlessly as my pinky's dipped under her skirt and my other fingers slipped under the edge of her corset top stroking the soft skin of her tight stomach. She moaned and rolled her head on my shoulder. "Edward…." She trailed off breathlessly.

I smirked against her neck before brushing my cheeks against her bare shoulders and neck before I sucked her skin deep within my mouth, making my mark on her. We were broken out of our trance by name being hollered from the direction of the bar. We both groaned at the thought of stopping our sensual rubbing against each other but duty called. "Can I have your name and number beautiful? Unfortunately duty calls for me." I whispered in her ear as I pressed my straining jean covered cock against her ass.

She nodded against my shoulder before extracting herself from my arms. "Sure thing, Edward." She said as she turned to face me holding her hand out for my cell phone. I plucked it from my pocket and laid it in her palm just as I heard both Jasper and Seth scream for me.

I turned around to look at the bar and seen what the problem was. I looked back to the beautiful woman who had my phone and my best friends who were screaming at me. She looked up and smiled at me. "Go, I will bring it to the bar. I promise. My name is Bella, by the way." She said as she giggled at me.

I don't know what overcame me but I leaned down and placed my lips against hers for a quick parting kiss. "I will be out front manning the door, Bella. See you in a lil bit beautiful." I smiled at quickly before high tailing my ass towards the front door where Emmett stood white as a ghost with his phone in his hand with a screaming Rosalie coming from it. I plucked the phone from Emmett's hand and spoke to Rosalie, his wife of 6 years. "Rosie, it's Edward. Is it time?" I asked her calmly.

She sobbed into the phone. "Yes, Edward. It's time, can you please snap him out of it and send his gigantic ass to the hospital. I'm on my way there now." She said between deep breaths.

"Sure thing, Rosie. Good luck." I told her before hanging up his phone and snapping my fingers in front of his face.

"Emmett, your wife is on her way to the hospital and you need to get your ass in gear. Right now." I told him sternly as I continued snapping my fingers to gain his attention.

Finally, he came to and turned to me with frightened eyes. "Eddie, what am I gonna do? We already have 5 girls, I pray this one comes out a boy." He said as he slumped against the wall.

"You are going to get your ass to that hospital before Rose cuts your balls off and hands them to you for souvenirs and you are going to deliver you baby and love it regardless of what is between its legs." I told him firmly before shoving him out the door in the direction of our parking lot.

Emmett and his amazing wife, Rosalie, already have 5 girls at home and they were all 4 years old and younger. I felt sorry for the big guy sometimes but he really was an amazing father to all of those girls and an even better husband to Rosalie. They had decided to wait and be surprised by this one, knowing his luck he would have another girl.

I took my post at the door and picked up Emmett's clipboard that said we were still at full capacity and it was almost midnight.

BPOV

I couldn't believe I had been that bold out on the dance floor, but I had just myself go and enjoyed dancing with Bree and Angela.

I was shocked when I felt somebody's hands settle on my hips and press flat against my back but settled down when I smelled Edward's scent that I recognized from earlier and his whispered "Hello beautiful. Dance with me?" whispered into my ear. I moaned at the feel of his light stubble brushing against my bare shoulders and neck.

I let go of Bree's hands and she immediately got the hint and moved away from us. I didn't turn around to face him instead I danced against his front and linked my hands behind his head. I tried to rub my face against his without letting on that his stubble turned me on.

We teased each other mercilessly while on the dance floor and when the slow song came on, it became almost unbearable until he got called away.

I quickly told him that I would bring him his phone and he kissed me quickly on the lips and high tailed it towards the front door. I quickly programmed my name and number in his phone before calling my phone so I had his number also. Just as I was pocketing the phones in my small pockets, my girls pounced on me.

"Isabella Swan has broken out of her shell, finally." Angela exclaimed as she smiled broadly at me. All I could do was smile and nod back at her.

"He's just so sexy, how could you not respond to something like that." I told them as I turned on my heel and headed towards the front door. To where my sexy barman stood with his arms crossed over his chest and feet spread apart as he leaned back against the door.

Just as I was about to reach and tap him on the shoulder he turned in my direction and smiled at me. "Hey sexy lady."

I smiled at him. "Hey sexy barman." I returned the sentiment and fished his phone out of my back pocket and handed it to him.

Instead of him taking his phone he wrapped his hand around my wrist and tugged me into his side and locked his lips with mine. "Mmmm…Edward." I moaned against his lips as he separated us so we could regain our breath.

"I think I like hearing you moan my name. We definitely need to further explore this." He whispered against my neck breathlessly.

I nodded and sunk my hand in his ass end pocket and squeezed his firm ass in my palm. "Mmm…Bella." He moaned as he tugged me further into his chest and wrapped his arms around my waist and sunk his hands in my back pockets to squeeze my ass too.

We stood like that, lips sliding against each other's, tongues tangling, teeth nipping, cheeks rubbing and hands gripping for several minutes until the people still waiting in line began to grumble about our overt sexual display.

We broke apart breathlessly and I just stared into his amazing green eyes that had darkened to almost a pitch black in the passion that we shared. "Go on a date with me tomorrow? Well later today actually?" He asked me softly as he took one hand out of his back pocket and stroked the side of my face.

I smirked at him. "Do you have to work tomorrow?" I asked him cautiously, not wanting to get my hopes up only to be dashed down again. I raised my hands to his face and felt the stubble under my fingertips and moaned lightly at the sensations it sent through my body.

He smirked at me. "If I did, I wouldn't have asked you out. My hours are very flexible. I will explain it all tomorrow on our date." He said sneakily. "So, will you be my date for later?" He asked again.

I nodded and leaned forward to kiss him gently again just as my girls strode up. "Absolutely barman. Text me the details, later." I told him as we broke apart again.

"Get a room you two." Bree said as she walked past us.

We chuckled but I patted him one last time on the chest and made to follow Angela and Bree.

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**So I have a few chapters already written and reviewed so I am going to try to stick to an updating schedule of 2x a week if my life and school permits.**

**I am in college and those of you who have been and conquered know how hard it is and I am an only child with a sick mother. So depending on homework compilation and my mom's doctors appointments I am going to try to update on Sundays and Wednesdays.**

**See you folks Wednesday!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I hope everyone has enjoyed reading what I have written so far. You can find a picture of Bella's house at homedetails/2723-Triway-Ln-Houston-TX-77043/28138978_zpid/ (Just replace the an actual period and remove the spaces.**

**Disclaimer:I don't own Twilight, I just play with them on occasion.**

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Chapter 2

Saturday, January 7, 2012

BPOV

I stood staring out the window of my modest little house remembering last night as I sipped my midday coffee. "I can't believe I was that bold." I mumbled to myself.

It was almost 4 o'clock in the afternoon and I still hadn't received anything from Edward about our date that we were supposed to have today. I was beginning to think that I had been led on and stood up. I tossed the rest of my coffee down the drain and grabbed the stack of papers off my counter and went to make myself comfortable on my couch so I could get some grading done.

I taught senior at a prestigious private school so you would think that the kids were smart, but boy did my papers prove otherwise. We had been discussing 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' by Harriet Beecher Stowe and I had given them a rather small paper to get their opinion on the book.

Just the grammar and spelling mistakes were enough to make me want to strangle some of the students. They weren't dumb by any means, they were just careless and pissed off because I requested all of my students to write in long hand and by pen and paper instead of printouts from a computer. Them trying to get back at me is only going to hurt them in the long run, but I would give them another paper every week for punishment if they kept this up.

Just as I was in the middle of marking up Lauren Mallory's paper my phone chirped from the end table. I sat my stack of papers down and picked up my phone and a huge smile instantly graced my face. It was Edward.

_Good morning, beautiful. –Edward_

I looked at the clock to double check the time. It blinked back at me: 4:28.

_Morning? I think it's more like evening, Edward. –Bella_

I went to sit my phone down when it rang in my hand. I answered it quickly. "Hello?"

"I didn't mean to sleep so late, I was exhausted. Would you still like to go out on our date, Bella?" He asked as I heard something fall and crash through the phone.

"I would if you are still alive. What was that noise?" I asked him as I settled into the couch corner.

"Nothing, I just dropped my shaving cream in the sink." He said as I heard water running in the background.

I sat up alarmed because I didn't want the stubble gone all the way. "You're shaving?" I asked quickly.

"Just getting ready to. I wanted to be clean shaven for our date, not scruffy." He said quietly.

I groaned because if I wanted the stubble then I was gonna have to speak up right now. "Please don't shave it all off. Can you just trim it with an electric razor or something?" I asked quietly.

I could practically hear him smirking through the phone. "Why, Bella? Does my stubble turn you on?" He asked and I heard the water turn off.

"What are you going to do if I say 'yes'?" I asked him quietly.

"Hmmm…. I might just trim it up and leave it be." He said huskily. "Is Bella short for something or is that you given name?" He asked changing the subject quickly.

"It's short for Isabella, but only my mother called me that." I told him quietly.

"Can I call you Isabella on occasion?"

I thought about that, and even though it brought up sad memories, I kinda liked the sound of it as it rolled off of his tongue. "Only on special occasions, I really prefer Bella most of the time." I told him cautiously.

"Sounds like a deal, Bella. Do you want to do dinner and a movie or just hang out tonight?" He asked, yet again changing the subject as if he could tell I was reluctant to talk about it.

"How about a combo of both. Take-out and rented movies." I suggested to him, not really wanting to get all dolled up to go out.

"Sounds great, Bella. My place or your?"

I had to think about that one, did I want him in my personal space quite so soon or did I want to see what the inside of Edward's world so soon. I opted for my house that way I didn't have to drive after dark. "My house if it's okay with you."

"Sounds like a plan. Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, or American?"

I giggled at that because there was no way in hell that I was eating Japanese food anytime. Mexican food tended to give me gas so I marked that one off too. Chinese sounded good. "Chinese. Romantic comedy, comedy, or action packed?" I asked in return.

He laughed. "Do you really want me to answer that? I'm a guy and you basically only listed one kind of manly movie there."

I laughed with him and came up with another suggestion. "Why don't you name 4 movies and I will name 4 movies and we each pick 2?" I suggested.

"Sounds like you are planning for me to stay at your house all night." He teased and I heard rustling around and a loud thump.

I heard him cursing in the distance. He must have dropped the phone. "Sorry, dropped the phone." He said slightly out of breath.

"It's okay, what were you doing anyways?" I asked suspiciously.

"Trying to get dressed one-handed. The movie idea sound like a great plan, if we don't watch them all tonight we can always watch them another night." He said.

"Sounds like a plan. I'm gonna get off here so I can get a little bit of work done before you get here. I will text you my address and movie choices. Okay?" I told him as I picked up my stack of papers.

"Sounds great, what time should I show up?"

"Whenever is fine, I'm just grading papers." I told him quickly.

"Teacher, huh? I will be there in a little bit. I will text you my veto's and my movie choices. See you in a little bit, beautiful." He told me quickly.

I groaned because I had accidentally slipped that I was a teacher. I usually kept that to myself because guys typically found it unsexy to be a high school English teacher. "Sounds good. See you in a little bit, barman."

We hung up and I attempted to get back into grading my papers. If I was going to eat take-out and watch movies all night then I was going to do it comfortably. I was dressed in my holey jeans and a Forks Police Department shirt and I wasn't changing. If he was going to try and date me then he was going to date the real me, the English nerd, and the homebody.

EPOV

It was after 6 this morning by the time I crawled my way into my upstairs condo. I lived above the club out convenience. It was a 2 bedroom condo that had been completely sound proofed before I had moved in it. When I wasn't downstairs at the club then I enjoyed my peace and quiet and when I was working my shifts at the station I reveled in my solitude to unwind from particularly tough days. I had never had anybody over to my condo but close friends and family, it was my space and I was peculiar about who seen it.

The next time I cracked my eyes open, one glance at my alarm clock had me groaning because it was after 3 o'clock and I hadn't texted Bella or nothing all day since I had been dead to the world. I pulled myself up from my king sized bed and headed for my bathroom to wash off the grime of the last 48 hours. I had taken a quick shower before I left the station yesterday morning and I had taken another quick rinse off when I crawled in this morning but I needed a good scrub down before I faced Bella.

After almost 30 minutes of standing under the shower spray, I dragged myself out of the shower stall and wrapped a towel around my waist and headed towards my kitchen for a quick bite to eat. I grabbed my phone along the way.

I flipped open my phone to see that I had 4 missed calls, 3 from Emmett and 1 from Rosalie as well as a multitude of text messages.

After I scrolled through all the messages I sat there laughing my ass off because Emmett and Rosalie did indeed have another baby girl and he was hysterical.

Rosalie texted me to let me know that I may not have a best friend by the end of the day if he didn't grow up and act his damn age. I called Rosalie to check on her and the baby.

She picked up the phone with a disgruntled "Hello Sleeping Beauty."

I snickered. "Good morning, Rosie. Congrats on another girl. What's this one's name?" I asked her quietly.

"Sariah Harmony McCarty." She said matter-of-factly.

"That's another pretty name. How's Emmett?" I asked cautiously.

"I don't know, I kicked his whiney ass out of here this morning after he wouldn't shut up and leave me alone." She said snarkily.

"Rosie, be nice to your husband. You know he was hoping for a boy this time around." I told her gently.

"Yeah, I know. We both were but God graced us with another beautiful girl. It serves Emmett's ass right for all his whoring days. Now he's got 6 beautiful girls that are going to grow up to be gorgeous and he's gonna have to worry every time they go out on a date." She said laughing lightly.

I chuckled because it was true. Emmett was the biggest man whore out of all of us. Before he met Rosalie, he would just about screw anything in a skirt and have no qualms about returning for a second round. Rosalie was the only one who wouldn't put out within the first couple of dates and she is the only one that lasted. They had been happily married for 7 years now and had 6 beautiful girls to show for their love.

"I love ya, Rosie. Congrats on Sariah, I will come by tomorrow and see you and all the girls. Try to not kill my buddy." I told her.

She returned the sentiment and made no promises on not killing her husband and said she would see me tomorrow afternoon after they got home from the hospital.

I sent a quick text to Emmett.

_Buddy, I talked your wife down for you. Buy her some damned flowers and do some groveling while she's cooled down. Congrats on Sariah. –Edward._

I didn't wait for a response before I texted Bella a _Good morning, beautiful_ and headed for my bathroom to get ready to shave before I got dressed for our date.

My phone dinged before I ever got to the bathroom.

_Morning? I think it's more like evening, Edward –Bella_

Instead of texting her I decided to multitask and decided to call her so I could shave while I talked to her.

She answered by the 3rd ring and we had a stimulating conversation where I got her to admit she liked my stubble so I decided to just run the electric razor over it instead of shaving it completely off.

After I was dressed, I grabbed my wallet and keys and was on my way out the door. I locked my condo door and descended down the hidden staircase at the back of the club and opened that door to see Seth and Tanya stocking the bar and getting ready to open in a few hours. I locked that door also, as I was the only one with the keys to it. I waved to them as I made my way out the backdoor and to my Volvo. As I sat in my car letting it warm up, I looked at my phone at Bella's address and movie choices.

_3269 Honeysuckle Loop—Bella_

_1). The notebook ( Hell, a girls gotta try right?) 2). Wrong Turn 5 3).Fast Five 4). Bringing Up Baby (which I have on DVD). Do your worst, barman. –Bella_

I shook my head at the wide range of movies she picked, she covered all the areas from romance to horror.

_There is no way in hell that I am watching 'The Notebook' on our 1__st__ date. Try again later, beautiful. The other 3 are great choices. –Edward_

I quickly thought of the movies I wanted to watch with her, so my fingers got busy texting her choices.

_1). Casablanca 2). Death Race 1 3). Death Race 2 4). The Smurfs…Take your pick, baby. –Edward_

I backed out of my parking spot and headed to the nearest Chinese restaurant and ordered a variety of things before getting back in my care and programming her address into my GPS.

As I was waiting for the directions to load I picked up my phone to see which one's she had marked off the list.

_The Smurfs, barman? What are you 5?—Bella_

_Any of them are fine with me. We can take turns watching them and whichever ones we don't get to tonight we can do another night.—Bella_

I smiled at her implication of another date already. She did that earlier too. I didn't text her back just stopped to pick up the movies before heading towards her house.

I was blown away by her house. It was gorgeous, with big mature trees in her front her partially hiding her house. It seemed to fit the woman that I had been talking to today but it seemed out of style for the sexy vixen from last night. The house was definitely and older built one instead of the cookie cutter subdivisions that were popping up all over the place.

I sincerely hoped that she wasn't high maintenance like the other women that I met at the club. I parked in her driveway behind her midnight blue obviously fully restored 1955 Ford F-100 Pick Up Truck and it was beautiful. I would have to bring Rosie over to see it one day if we continued dating after tonight. I had this exact same truck in our garage, except it was in hooker red.

Between Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and myself we owned over 25 vintage fully restored vehicles stored at Emmett's parents' house. We had built a custom garage on their farm years ago and decided that we would all just store/work on our vehicles there since we usually did it as a group anyways. They would have a shit fit over Bella's truck. We didn't actually get much time out there anymore but we always tried to get together at least once a month for a mini road trip to keep our vehicles used and running.

Just picturing Bella behind the wheel made my jeans become suddenly very tight. I grabbed the bags that contained our dinner and movies before climbing from my car and making my way to her front door.

I smiled when I got to the front door because it was painted a bright lime green. It completely stood out from the rest of her house and property but seemed just right for her. I managed to ring the doorbell without dropping anything and stood back to admire the architecture of her house.

I was snapped out of my reverie by the door being snatched open. "Hey barman, nice of you to show up." She said as she stepped back so I could come inside.

"Haha, Nice to see you again too, Bella." I told her as she led the way to the kitchen.

I glanced around as we passed through the family room and dining room on our way to the kitchen. The house had obviously been updated and seemed to fit the gorgeous woman standing in front of me better than the one that drew me in last night. "Just sit the stuff there on the counter." She told me as she made her way to the refrigerator.

I sat the bags down and followed behind her and quietly snuck my hands around her waist and into the front pockets of her comfy looking jeans. "Hmm…Bella, I believe I like this side of you better than the one last night." I whispered against her neck as I nuzzled into her neck.

I felt her sigh and lean back into me as she reached back and lightly scratched my slight stubble along my chin. "I'm glad, I was a bit worried because this" she motioned up and down her body "is the normal everyday me; not the woman you seen last night, even though she comes out on occasion." She said softly as she leaned back into my chest fully nuzzling my stubble gently.

I hmmmed against her neck and placed a gentle kiss there being sure to rub my chin again her before looking over her shoulder and into her refrigerator. "I'll take a Dr. Pepper, baby. Where are your plates?" I asked her as I pulled back from her and began unpacking the Chinese food containers.

I opened the cabinet that she pointed to and pulled out 2 plates for us to eat on. "Chopsticks or fork?" I asked as I leaned back against her counter and watch as she fixed 2 mason jar glasses of Dr. Pepper.

"Chopsticks of course, who eats Chinese food with a fork?" She asked with a laugh.

I shrugged my shoulder and grabbed the 2 packages of chopsticks and followed her as she led the way into the family room that we had passed through previously.

"Which movie first? Should we flip for it?" I asked her as I sat my load down on her coffee table.

She shook her head as she sat our glasses down on the same coffee table. "Nope, The Smurfs will work for me. I love that movie."

I laughed because she had called me a 5 year old when I put it on my list earlier. "Haha, who's the 5 year old now?" I teased her as I went back into the kitchen to get the movies that I had forgotten.

I popped open the case and popped the DVD into the player before making my way to settle on the couch beside Bella.

Through the previews we dished out dinner before leaning back into the couch with our plates balanced on our laps. "You know, this is one hellacious first date." I teased her as I dug into my Kung Pow Chicken.

She nodded in agreement. "It is, but at least this way we can talk and really get to know each other without the interruptions of a restaurant." She said smartly.

"Well aren't you just a regular Mrs. Smartypants." I commented as I chuckled at her.

"It's the teacher in me." She commented before we really dug into our dinner as Clumsy Smurf tripped through the mushroom village on his way to the Blue Moon Festival rehearsal.

BPOV

We sat contentedly on my couch eating our Chinese food and watching the Smurfs as they navigated the real world on screen. We pretty much laughed at the same parts and that was when I realized that we actually had a lot in common.

I was relieved that he was okay with the 'real me' instead of just the 'made up me' and I was able to relax around him. I was also very ecstatic when I saw that he hadn't completely shaven off his stubble. The man was seriously sex on legs and the stubble made my insides tingle. When I noticed his empty plate resting on his knees I grabbed it and headed back into the kitchen with both of our plates. "Be right back." I told him as I headed through the kitchen doorway.

I took a few minutes to rinse off the plates and place them in the dishwasher and put the leftover food in the refrigerator. When I walked back into the living room I smiled when I saw that Edward had indeed made himself at home. He had kicked off his boots and stretched out along the length of my couch with his head propped on one of my decorative pillows. "Comfy barman?" I asked as I made my way to his side.

"I would be even more comfortable if you would join me." He said as held out a hand for me. I took it and settled in beside him on the couch with my back to his chest and my head tucked underneath his chin. Our legs tangled, and our hands settled together on my stomach. "Much better. You comfy?"

I nodded and snuggled deeper into him embrace as we watched the Smurf's still traipsing through the world trying to figure out a way home. We laid there for a few minutes when I felt his lips graze my neck. I smiled and tilted my head so he could have easier access and I felt him smile against my neck and gently scrape my neck. The man was taking advantage of my earlier admission that I had found his stubble sexy and it turned me on. The movie was quickly forgotten as we lost ourselves in our chemistry.

"Edward…." I breathed out as he took a nip at my neck. He groaned and kissed his way up behind my neck, finding my weak spot.

I moaned and pressed my hips back against his impressive erection. By the bulge in his pants, he was very well endowed and prepared for takeoff at this very moment. "Bella….baby."

I smiled and rotated my hips a little bit against his already straining erection. He slipped his leg in between mine which placed his erection right against my heat causing us both to groan out loud. I couldn't believe that our chemistry was so strong; it was like kindling to a flame, instant spark.

I ground my hips back against his as his hand slid up my waist and cradled my breast in his palm, immediately causing my nipple to pucker under my thin bra. "Baby, we need to stop now or I'm not gonna be able to stop." He pleaded in my ear and he rotated his hips against mine, rubbing his erection against where I needed him the most.

"I don't wanna stop, Edward. I don't usually do this but I can't seem to stop right now." I told him breathlessly.

He groaned and pulled his hands from me before sitting up on the couch suddenly. "Baby, I would love nothing more than to ravish you right now but that is not what I came here for today. I want to date you. I want to get to know the real you. I want to try to have a relationship with you." He told me seriously as he sat there with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

I sat up right beside him and put my head on his shoulder. "Thanks, Edward. Most guys would totally take advantage of the situation right now." I told him quietly as I took deep calming breaths to calm my horniness down some. "I really don't usually do this. Last night was the first time I have went out since I moved to Texas almost 6 months ago. I am usually more of a homebody than anything else." I told him seriously.

He nodded and sat back against the couch tugging me to his side and draping my legs across one of his. "So let's get to know each other, which is what this whole date is supposed to be about." He said seriously as we got comfortable.

EPOV

The throbbing in my pants was a constant reminder of what I put the brakes on, but getting to know this amazing girl was more important than just a quick roll in the hay. I pulled her to my side as I settled back against her couch. "So let's get to know each other, which is what this whole date is supposed to be about." I told her seriously.

She snuggled into my side. "And how do you propose we do that? 20 questions?" She proposed.

I just laughed at her silliness. "20 questions is all I get? How about we just ask whatever we want to know?" I re-proposed.

"Sounds good. Question #1 What is your full name?" She asked.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. Yours?"

"Isabella Marie Swan. I'm 24, how old are you?"

"26. Where do you teach and what grade?" I asked her as I drew little circles on thigh over her holey jeans.

"I teach at St. Mary's Private School and I teach Advanced Placement Senior English. Do you just bartend for a living?"

I drew in a deep breath before spilling my guts. "I don't actually just bartend. I own Breaking Dawn, as well as the entire city block that it sits on. I am also a fire fighter for the Houston Fire Department. The other bartender and the bouncer, Jasper and Emmett, are also my fellow firefighters." I spilled before stopping to gauge her reaction.

"Really? That's awesome, Edward." She said with a huge smile on her face.

"Thanks for that, a lot of people take me for granted when I tell them all of that. What do you do for fun, Ms. Swan?" I asked her with a low growl.

She chuckled and blushed before answering. "I like to read, write short stories, and fish."

"Really? You mean to tell me that a beautiful girl like you can get down and dirty with fishing?" I asked her with a chuckle.

"It's a favorite pastime from my child hood. My father and I spent many summer days on the river bank. It helps me to remember him when I sit out in my little boat in the middle of a quiet lake." She said quietly.

"What happened to him, baby?" I asked her quietly.

"Both of my parents died the day of my high school graduation. They were hit head on by a drunk driver and died instantly." She told me with a hoarse voice, like she was having a hard time holding her tears back.

"Baby, it's okay to cry about it. I know what you are going through actually." I told her as I tugged her tighter into my side placing a kiss against the top of her head.

"What about your parents?" She asked once she had gained control of her emotions and voice.

I took a deep breath and told the story of my parents. "My parents were married for 14 years before I finally came along so needless to say they were very involved in everything that I had going on. I was the captain of the baseball team at my high school in Chicago and we had made it to the State Championship my senior year and I travelled with the team on the school bus." I paused to take a deep breath. "My parents never made it the stadium. They were carjacked and killed because my father refuse to give his car up because then he would have missed my championship game." I told her quietly.

I heard her suck in a breath and hug me tighter to her. "I'm so sorry, baby. It sucks that we both had to lose our parents like we did." She told me quietly and I nodded but didn't say anything.

We sat there in silence as the Smurfs droned on in the background. After a few minutes of silence she spoke up again. "When did you move to Texas?"

"The day after high school graduation, I couldn't stay in Chicago where the memories of my parents was around every corner. I closed up our house and high tailed it to Houston with just a suitcase full of clothes. I pay my neighbors in Chicago to keep an eye on my house and keep the lawn cared for during the summer. I've never been back since I drove out of town 8 years ago." I told her quietly as it really just sunk in that I hadn't set foot in my childhood home in almost 9 years.

"Why do you keep the house if you don't go back?" She asked the question that nobody had ever asked me before.

"I don't know really. It is the house that I grew up in and it looks just like it did the day that they died. I moved into a hotel the day I got back from the championship game. I haven't been back since I left the day of the championship game. I want to go back but I don't know if I could handle it." I told her honestly.

"That makes sense; my parents took care of all of that for me. They had a will drawled up when I turned 16 that said their house couldn't be sold or mortgaged until at least 15 years after their deaths so that I had plenty of time to get over their deaths. I have been gone from Washington for 6 years this May and have never been back."

"Wow, maybe we both need to go back home and face the ghosts of our parents. Who knew that this is the one thing we would have in common." I told her trying to break the tension up some. "Baby, I have the next 3 days off work at the fire house; will you spend them with me?" I asked her softly.

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**Please leave me a little love and let me know what you think of my new baby! See you on Sunday! Do you ladies prefer stubble or smooth? What is you idea of a perfect first get to know you date?**


	3. Chapter 3

**I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed this go around! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!**

**Disclaimer: SM owns twilight, I just borrow her characters and play with them a little bit each day.**

**Hope everyone enjoys this chapter!**

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Chapter 3

Saturday January 7, 2012

BPOV

"Baby, I have the next 3 days off work at the fire house; will you spend them with me?" Edward asked me as we sat on the couch snuggled into each other.

I had no doubt that those 3 days would be absolutely amazing but I had school on Monday and I couldn't miss it. "I would love to but I have school during the day." I told him quietly as I stared into his beautiful green eyes.

He nodded as he cradled my face in his hands. "Ms. Swan, I know you have school during the day but I would love to spend my evenings and nights with you; if you will allow me to do that?"

I groaned because he seemed to have the answers for everything. "Where will we stay? My place or yours?" I asked him next.

"Both. I live right above the club and I need to be there all day Monday because I have deliveries all day and evening but other than that we can stay wherever."

I was worried about my early bed times and early morning schedule would put a damper on his lifestyle. "Edward, as much as I would love to spend the next 3 days with you, I don't want my rigid teaching schedule to cramp your lifestyle." I told him in argument.

He laid me flat against the couch and leered over me. "You aren't cramping my style, baby. I love that you are a teacher and I know that it entails early nights and even earlier mornings, Bella. So again I ask, will you spend the next 3 days with me?" He asked as he leered over me almost touching my nose with his.

I nodded slowly as a smile graced my face and I leaned up to peck him on the lips. "I would" kiss "love to spend" kiss "the next" kiss "three days" kiss "with you" kiss "baby." I smashed my lips against his as I wrapped my legs around his waist and tugged him down on top of me.

We spent the next few minutes making out on my couch until we had to break apart breathlessly. He pressed his hips against my slick wet core and I arched my back at the sensations that rocketed through my body. I trailed my hands down his back and slipped them under his shirt tugging it up as I trailed my hands up his back. "Bella…" He said as the shirt reached under his arms and I was still tugging on it.

I smiled at him and nodded. "I want this Edward. Please."

He immediately sat back on his heels and tugged his shirt off over his head and flung it to the floor before standing up and swiftly scooping me up in his arms. "Where's your bedroom?"

I pointed to the stairs and began peppering kisses along his neck and chin nipping lightly as he carried me up the stairs. He groaned when we got to the top of the stairs as apparently I had found his weak spot at the base of his neck and sucked strongly on it, hopefully leaving my mark on him. "Which room, baby?"

I pointed down the hallway without breaking my suction. He walked us down the hall and into my bedroom and crawled into the middle of my bed before laying me down. "You sure are strong there barman." I told him when I broke the connection on his neck.

He just smirked at me. "Got to be to work for the HFD, I tote people out of burning buildings all the time. But then I'm usually going downstairs with them not up, it's a good thing you don't weigh much more than a load of fire hoses." He told me smartly as he stretched out beside me propped up on his side with his head in his hand and his other hand drawing small circles on my stomach through my shirt.

"Haha, Edward." I told him in a passion deepened voice. He really was amazing to look at shirtless. He had the most amazing 8 pack going on and was tanned to perfection. I reached over and trailed my fingertips down his washboard abs to the happy trail that tapered off into his low slung straining jeans.

"Bella, you are playing with fire baby." He groaned out as I pulled lightly at the hair right above the waistband of his jeans. I smirked at him before trailing my finger back up his chest slowly as I traced all the creases in his stomach before I reached his chest. I leaned forward and placed a quick kiss to his nipple which caused him to fall back on the bed taking me with him.

I latched on and sucked urgently which drug a long deep groan from the sexy man beneath me as he threaded his hands through my hair tugging gently. I reached my other hand over to tweak his other nipple which earned me a growl and being flipped over on my back.

I stared up at his passion darkened eyes and seen the glint in his eyes which caused me to shiver. I was going to remember this moment for the rest of my life. He looked at me as if I was something to eat and he was a starving man. I held my arms up for him and he shook his head which caused me to frown gently. "Edward…"

He shook his head again before straddling my legs and placing his hands at my waist, his fingertips sliding under my t-shirt. I groaned at the feel of his cool fingertips on my hot stomach and arched my back.

EPOV

I couldn't believe this woman was actually here beneath me and riddled with passion. She was absolutely amazing and gorgeous. I haven't been a saint since I arrived in Texas all those years ago but I had never felt the passion remain past the first night with any girl and this is the first girl I actually want to date instead of 'wham bam thank ya ma'am' her.

As I sit straddled across her legs and gaze down at her, I am blown away by how beautiful she really is. Her chocolate strands lay spread across her pillows from where I had flipped her over. Her cheeks and neck were slightly red from where my stubble had rubbed up against her. Thank God I had thought beforehand to moisturize it so it would soften up some. Her eyes were darkened with passion and were almost black instead of brown. Her lips were swollen from our intense kisses as she slid her tongue out to wet her bottom lip. I groaned and placed my hips at her waist and tucked my fingers underneath her shirt as I leaned forward to kiss her slick lips again.

"You are going to be the death of me, baby." I growled against her lips which she just smiled to.

"How so?" She asked softly when we broke apart for air.

Instead of answering her I just grabbed her hand and placed it over my straining jeans. Her eyes got big as saucers when my cock jumped under our combined palms. I let go of her hand and tugged her shirt up her stomach and over her head revealing 2 perfect sized firm braless breasts. She was beautiful and amazing. I tugged the shirt over her head which dislodged her hand from my screaming cock.

"I could be mean and leave you to tend to that monster all on your own, you know?" She said as soon as her shirt was over her head.

I scowled at her which caused her to giggle. "Monster, huh? It's not that big." I told her as I leaned down and sucked her pebbled nipple in my mouth which caused her to gasp out loud.

I stretched out over the top of her and settled between her legs as I paid ample attention to her beautiful breasts. I snaked one hand up her waist to tweak her other nipple and I trailed the other one down her waist to the waistband of her jeans which caused her to suck in her breath. I toyed with the button of her jeans and released her nipple with a 'pop' and looked up at her through hooded eyes.

"Baby, are you sure about this? Speak now or forever hold your peace?" I asked her huskily.

In answer she snaked her hands in my hair and tugged my face to hers so she could passionately kiss me, our tongues dueling and our teeth nibbling. When we broke for air again she assured me huskily. "I'm sure, Edward. I need you. Please."

I groaned and buried my head in her neck, rubbing my stubble lightly against her neck and shoulder. I flicked open the button of her jeans and tried to lower the zipper but it wouldn't budge. As I tugged on it gently she giggled beneath me. I looked up at her like she was crazy. "What's so funny?" I asked her as I looked to see why her zipper wouldn't open.

She shook her head. "These are my favorite jeans and I have had them for years and the zipper broke about 3 years ago and I had to sew it in place so it would stop sliding open on its own. You have to just tug the jeans off." She explained between giggles.

I dropped my head to her shoulder in frustration before going to the foot of the bed so I could tug them off. I took her feet in my hands and tugged gently on the legs of the worn jeans and she raised her hips slightly off the bed so I could tug them free of her hips. After a few quick tugs her pants were laying on the floor beside the bed and she was splayed in front of me in nothing but a pair of sinfully red lace cheeky panties that framed the promise land perfectly.

She placed her bare feet against my chest which earned me an amazing view of her delectable ass. I groaned and cupped her ass gently in my hands palming her cheeks eagerly and sneaking my fingers under the edge of her underwear and tugged on them and she allowed me to pull them off of her.

I tossed them over the edge of the bed before I took her feet in my palms and placed her feet flat on the bed with enough space between her knees for me to kneel between them easily. "Edward…please…" She moaned as she tossed her head side to side in anticipation.

I trailed my fingers up the inside of her legs but by-passed her soaked center. I leaned back over her and whispered huskily in her ear. "Baby, there is no need to beg. I plan on doing things to you that you've only dreamed about."

She groaned and arched up into me trying to force contact between us but I wouldn't relent and scooted down the bed until I was face to face with her soaked mound and I took a big whiff of her sweet smell. "You ready, Isabella?" I asked her before I gently blew on her hot mound.

She moaned loudly and tried to raise her hips up but I had an arm firmly across her waist anchoring her to the bed. "Mmm…Edward."

I took that as an affirmative answer and ran a single finger through her folds and she let out a long loud hiss. "Oh God, Edward." I smiled before I ran my finger back down through her folds before tracing my path back up to circle around her swollen clit.

She let out a loud scream that made me thankful that she lived alone. "I'm not God, baby. But you are about to see heaven on earth." I told her before I quickly leaned down and sucked her clit into my mouth, sucking hard.

She screamed and her hips bucked up hard against my arm as her legs trembled as her orgasm raced through her entire body. She was still shaking a few minutes later when I released her clit and ran my tongue through her slickness before crawling back up her body to look at her relaxed face.

"Beautiful, baby, absolutely beautiful." I told her as her eyelids fluttered open.

"Thank you, Edward. That was amazing but now it's time for payback, baby." She told me as she pushed me onto my back and straddled my legs much like I had hers earlier.

BPOV

I couldn't believe that I had cum like that. I have never had that intense of an orgasm in my entire life. Jake had attempted to go down on me several times but said that he couldn't handle the taste which led me to believe that something was wrong with me until I caught him in the bed with Sam. Which proved to me that the problem was with him not me, he was gay trying to pass for straight.

As great as my orgasm has been, I wanted to help him out because he had been straining in his jeans for hours now. I quickly leaned forward and pecked him on the lips before trailing kisses down his chest, onto his stomach and licking a path through his happy trail.

He bucked his hips up into my stomach which pressed his huge erection against my chest. "Bella, I'm not gonna last long if you keep that up." He groaned as he pressed his head back into the pillow.

I quickly undid the button and zipper on his jeans before tugging both pants and boxers down at the same time releasing his 'monster' to slap against his stomach. I gasped when I seen how huge he really was. There is no way that was fitting inside of me. Jake had only been 5 ½ inches long and he was the only man I had ever been with and Edward had to be at least 7 inches long and was bigger around than Jake ever dreamed of being.

I didn't even know if he would fit in my mouth but I was damned well going to try. I kissed each hip before blowing gently on his erection which caused it to jump lightly on his stomach. "Baby, I'm warning you…it's not gonna take much." He warned me as he gently threaded her fingers through my hair.

I grinned up at him and maintained eye contact with him as I gripped his cock in my hand and lowered my mouth to his tip. He was the one that broke eye contact when his eyelids slid closed and his back arched up off the bed.

I felt his fingers tighten in my hair as I slowly slid my mouth down as far as I could before I felt my gag reflex kick in and I raised myself back up. I stroked my hand up and down the part of him that I couldn't get in my mouth. I began a steady rhythm all while maintaining my eyes on his face.

I felt him tugging on my hair as he hissed out. "Baby, I'm about to cum!" but I refused to release him and sucked that much harder. I hummed in the back of my throat when I felt his tip swell triggering his impeding orgasm.

He shot loads of cum down my throat which I swallowed eagerly all while looking up at him as he shouted my name and arched his back in ecstasy. When he collapsed on the bed I released him with a 'pop' and climbed up so that I could stretch out beside him and draped myself over his side.

He pressed a kiss to the top of my head as he tried to gain his breath. "Baby, that was…" He trailed off at a loss for words.

I giggled pressing a kiss against his stubbled cheek before settling back down against his side. Our quiet moment was disrupted as my doorbell sounded out from downstairs.

I groaned at the idea of moving from my comfortable spot. "Expecting company?" Edward asked as he trailed his fingertips up and down my sweat slick back.

"Nope, and I don't want to move either." I told him quietly.

"Want me to go answer it for you?" He offered and I nodded against his chest as I stretched lazily as he got up from the bed and tossed on his jeans and nothing else.

I spotted a tattoo on his back that I hadn't seen before now. It was of several Chinese symbols between his shoulder blades. I wondered what they meant and I would ask him when he gets back up here.

I heard a voice that I hadn't heard in almost a year and chills ran down my spine.

"Is Bella here?"

EPOV

I took my time getting up from Bella's bed partly because I was reluctant to leave her side so soon after what we had just shared and partly because my legs were still shaking from the intense orgasm that had rocked my world.

I slipped just my jeans on and made my way down Bella's stairs and to her front door. I opened the front door and came face to face with a huge Indian dude that looked intimidating as hell. "Can I help you?" I asked him as his eyes raked over my half naked form.

I stood before him in jeans that I had failed to button, no socks, no shirt, and hair in a disarray from Bella's fingers.

"Is Bella here?" The guy asked rather loudly.

I chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, she's upstairs. Can I go tell her who's asking for her?" I asked him quietly.

He rolled his eyes and spoke words that stopped my heart cold. "She's my fiancée, just tell her that Jake is here to see her."

I was just about to turn around and race up the stairs to demand answers from Bella when I heard her footsteps on the stairs behind me. "Jake, what in the hell are you doing here?" She asked angrily as she came to wrap her arms around my waist and I glanced down at her and smiled when I saw that she was in my HFD t-shirt from earlier.

"I came here to talk my fiancée back home where she belongs." He said as he made to step inside the house but I stepped forward and growled lowly and he stopped in his tracks.

Bella gripped my waist. "Edward, do you mind giving us a minute?" She asked me quietly.

What else could I do besides nod and turn to walk back upstairs without her. I sat on the foot of her bed and flopped back as I heard bits and pieces of a heated discussion coming from downstairs. I heard phrases like "where's sam?" "who was that dude?" "are you insane" "are you shacking up?" that made me arch my eyebrow in confusion. When I heard Bella say "No Jake, don't touch me!" come from a furious Bella I jumped up from the bed and raced downstairs to see Jake standing there with his hands cupped over his nose and Bella cradling her hand in her other hand.

I raced to Bella's side and cupped her face in my hands. "Baby, are you okay?" I asked her quietly.

She nodded and cuddled into my side. "Jake, I think you need to leave. You made a mistake by coming here in the first place. It's not my fault that Sam dumped your sorry ass but that doesn't give you the right to come shirking back to my doorway." Bella told him firmly.

He slumped his head and left without another word.

"Did you hit him?" I asked her quietly as I led her to the couch so I could check out her hand.

She nodded and I made my way to the kitchen to rummage in her freezer for something to put on her hand. I found a bag of frozen corn and busted it a loose on the counter before making my way to her side.

I gingerly placed the bag of frozen corn on her hand and settled in beside her on the couch. "Care to explain what just happened?" I asked her quietly.

She nodded and delved into the whole sordid story.

BPOV

I couldn't believe that Jake would actually have the audacity to show up here after our last confrontation, but he was downstairs with a near naked Edward.

I scrambled around and threw on the first thing I could find which was Edward's HFD shirt and boxer shorts. I scrambled as quick as I could downstairs and to Edward's side.

Just as I started down the stairs I heard Jake say "She's my fiancée, just tell her that Jake is here to see her."

I couldn't believe the audacity of him so I hurried to Edward's side as I seen his back tense and his grip on the door tighten. I wrapped my arm around Edward's naked waist and faced the shitty reminder of my past, Jacob Black.

"Jake, what in the hell are you doing here?" I asked him angrily while I leaned into Edward's side for support and comfort.

"I came here to talk my fiancée back home where she belongs." I watched as my past and my future collided. Jake made to step inside my home and Edward took a step forward, growling low in his throat impeding his entrance.

I gripped Edward's waist tightly to let him know that I could handle this on my own and I needed to. I asked him quietly to give us a minute and he nodded and made his way back upstairs.

I made sure to keep Edward's shirt smoothed down so I didn't show my goods to Jake even though he had seen it before. I motioned for him to come inside and closed the door behind him and motioned for him to follow me into the living room. "Jake, where's Sam at?" I asked him angrily as we faced off in the living room.

"He left me last week for a woman that he had fallen in love with. Who was that dude, Bella? What are you doing with him? Shacking up?" He asked me.

I gaped at him in astonishment. I couldn't believe he had the audacity to come crawling back to me after not so much as a word since I had walked out of our apartment the day I caught him taking it up the ass from Sam. "Are you insane, Jake? Do you really think that you can come crawling back after all this time? After everything that happened?"

He moved toward me so quickly that I didn't have time to move away from him and he gripped my arm tightly in his hand. "Charlie and Renee had it planned for us to get married and have a family. I'm not going to let them down."

I wrenched my arm from his grip and backed away a few steps but came up against my living room wall and he braced a hand on either side of me. "Jacob Black, if you know what is good for you then you will move the hell away from me." I told him fiercely, feeling my fighting instincts kick in that my daddy had taught me from the time I could walk.

Instead of moving away from me he leaned toward me and made to kiss me on the side of the mouth but encountered my fist instead. I heard the crunch of his nose as my fist connected with it. He made to grip my waist and I screamed out then because he could easily over power me. "No Jake, don't touch me!"

Jake moved away from me and cradled his nose in his hands as I heard Edward pounding down the stairs. I cradled my sore fist in my other hand as I stood my ground against Edward's side. Edward asked me if I was okay and I nodded at him and told Jake once and for all that he needed to leave and had made a mistake by coming here in the first place. After Jake left I allowed Edward to comfort me as I told him what all had happened and reassured him several times that I was okay.

I don't know how we sat there for without either of us saying a word until Edward broke the silence with his light chuckle. "What's so funny, Edward?" I asked him as I leaned back and looked up at him.

"Just thinking that you look mighty sexy in my clothes and that I wished it was for other reasons for us to be sitting here half naked." He told me between chuckles.

I laughed with him. "I know, I wished the day had turned out differently too but at least we are together." I told him quietly as it really set in what all we had done today and I still didn't know where we stood with each other.

I got quiet and he got inquisitive. "What's on your mind, baby?"

I shook my head and snuggled further into his side throwing my legs over his so that I could get a little bit closer. "It's nothing, just silly thoughts." I told him quietly.

"Hmm…wanna let me be the judge of whether they are silly thoughts or not?" He asked me just as quietly as he tugged me a little bit closer.

"You asked for it, barman. I was just thinking about even after everything we have done this afternoon I still don't know where we stand with each other. Like I said silly, it's not like we're in high school anymore where labels are important." I told him as I buried my head in his chest under his chin.

He tugged me until I straddled his hips with my hands draped over his shoulders and his on my hips. "Nothing silly about that. Isabella Marie Swan, will you give me the distinct pleasure of being my girlfriend?" He asked me seriously as he looked me deep in the eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this story! **

**Disclaimer:SM owns twilight, not I.**

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Chapter 4

Saturday, January 7, 2012

BPOV

I couldn't believe he actually asked me that and I couldn't control the giggle that escaped my lips all while nodding at him.

"Yes, absolutely." I told him before sinking my hands in his hair and latching my lips to his in a passionate embrace.

After a few minutes we broke apart. "So, about tonight, my place or yours?" I asked him quietly.

"If it's not too much hassle on your part, it would make things easier for me to be at my place. Just in case I am needed downstairs at the club. Saturday's can get a little crazy sometimes." He told me as he massaged my thighs that sat on either side of his hips.

"Are you not going to work tonight?" I asked him because I remember him telling me earlier that he usually worked on his nights off from the firehouse.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't have to if I don't want to. I usually do paperwork until I'm needed." He told me quickly.

"Great. You can do your paperwork while I finish grading my papers." I told him as I hopped from his lap and tossed my bag of now thawed out corn at him and danced my way up the stairs.

I quickly threw a bag together with some pajamas and an outfit for tomorrow before tossing in my essential toiletries. I slipped off Edward's clothes and threw my old jeans and t-shirt back on before snatching a hoody from the closet to toss on before I went outside in the frigid January air. I was just zipping my small suitcase when Edward wandered back upstairs with his jeans riding low on his hips showcasing his 'v' perfectly.

I groaned and shook my head at him. "You really don't know how sexy you are do you?" I asked him as I finished zipping my suitcase.

"I don't know what you are talking about." He smirked at me as he snatched up his shirt that I had tossed on the bed when I had changed back into my own clothes. He slipped the shirt over his head covering up the perfect abs that I was blatantly ogling. He picked up his boxers and strode over to my hamper and tossed them in before coming back to my side. "You ready to go, baby?" He picked up my suitcase and handed my hoody to me.

I nodded and we made our way out of my house, making sure that everything was secured after my surprise visitor today.

EPOV

Bella would be the first woman, besides Rosalie and Alice, to have ever been in my personal space before and I was kind of anxious about it but excited at the same time. "What happened to Emmett last night?" She asked from beside me as we made the short trek downtown to the club.

I smiled as I thought about him, Rosalie and all of their girls. "His wife gave birth to daughter number 6 last night. He was freaked out because Rosie gets vicious when she is in pain." I told her with a slight laugh. Vicious was an understatement to how Rosie acted when she was in extreme pain or discomfort but she would never admit it.

"Really? You're not making that up? He has 6 daughters?" Bella asked and disbelief as we rolled to a stop as a light changed to red.

I laughed and fished my wallet out of my ass end pocket and handed it to her. "There are pictures in there of all of them." I explained to her as the light turned green. "Go ahead and look." I told her when she still hadn't opened my wallet. I trusted her and this proved that because my entire life was packed into that wallet.

"They are in order from the oldest to the youngest. Skylar Destiny is the oldest one at 5 years old and is the spitting image of her mama." I told her as she examined the picture closely.

"She's beautiful. Rosalie must be a beautiful woman and a saint to have 6 daughters all under the age of 5." She said on a laugh.

"You will understand when you meet her. I gotta pay a visit to them tomorrow after they get home. The next one is a picture of Annabelle Faith and she is 4, just a little over 10 months younger than Skylar." I told her as I pulled into the rear parking lot of the club. Only my closest friends parked here, and of course I parked there.

I turned the car off and twisted in my seat to face Bella. I tapped on the next picture in my wallet. "This one is Maggie Grace and she just turned 3 about 4 months ago. She is my little girl; she swears that I can do no wrong." I told her on a chuckle because in all reality Maggie had me wrapped around her little finger. They all did really but Maggie and I had a special bond and I loved it even though I never showed favoritism over any of the girls.

"I can see that. I bet Emmett is completely whipped and they are just babies, just imagine what it's gonna be like when they get to be teenagers." She said on a laugh which caused me to laugh with her before turning to the next picture.

"This one is Victoria Hope and she isn't quite 2 yet, she is almost exactly 10 months behind Maggie and only 9 months older than Lillian Joy." I told her as we looked at the last 2 pictures in my wallet. "Lilly is a mess but truly a daddy's girl. She is normally fussy for Rosie but Emmett can walk into the room and she instantly hushes. It's been that way since she was born. The baby that was born last night is to be called Sariah Harmony." I told her as she closed my wallet and handed it back to me.

"They sound wonderful, Edward, they really do. I bet you make a fantastic uncle!" She said as she leaned across the console and placed a quick peck against my lips basically stunning me. She got it and I didn't even have to explain it to her. Em, Rosie, and the kids were my family as well as Jasper and Alice.

I quickly jumped out of the car and snatched her small suitcase from the trunk as she grabbed her worn leather messenger bag out of the backseat that contained all of her schoolwork that needed grading.

I grabbed her hand and led her around to the side of the building and through a locked gate and into my sanctuary. It was my own small backyard with a set of private outside stairs that led into my loft. "I didn't even know this was back here." She said in awe as she stopped to take in the small grassy area that held a couple of plastic lawn chairs and a huge ass grill as well as a small pink swimming pool.

"That's kinda the point of the locked gates to both the parking lot and this area. This is my sanctuary away from everything. There are only a handful of people who even know that I live above the club. Besides Rosalie and Alice, who is Jasper's girlfriend, you are the only female that I have ever brought here." I told her honestly.

"Wow, I'm honored. You know we could have very well stayed at my house if you feel uncomfortable with me being here." She told me seriously.

I shook my head and tugged on her hand and led her up the stairs and unlocked my outside entrance door. My loft took up the top 3 floors of the building the club was in. The main floor was the living room, office, laundry, and one bathroom. The second floor housed the kitchen, dining room, and playroom. The third floor was my real sanctuary and it was my master's paradise. It had taken a lot of work to get it to what it looked like now but it was well worth it in the long run. Like I said, this whole building was condemned for destruction when I stepped in and bought it 2 years ago.

I opened the door and let Bella walk in before me. "Home Sweet Home." I told her as we walked through the door and into my massive living room.

"Got a big enough TV there Edward?" She asked as she sat down her bag and walked around the massive space.

I chuckled and sat her suitcase down so I could watch her take in my space. I had a 72 inch plasma screen, HD TV that sat in the middle of a huge entertainment center/bookcase. I shrugged because I was ,before today, a single guy living alone. I enjoyed my luxuries.

She perused my shelves that held pictures over the years since I had moved to Houston. There were only 3 pictures of my parents and me that I had taken them from my home before I had moved into the hotel. They were in my office where I usually spent a lot of my spare time at. I like to talk to them when I was overwhelmed or frustrated about something.

After she was finished snooping she came to stand in front of me and hooked her fingers in my belt loops tugging me until I was flush against her. "I like it, Edward. It is very you and I can tell that your friends mean a lot to you as well as the girls." She said affectionately causing me to smile broadly because she really did get 'it'.

BPOV

I stood in Edward's living room looking at all of his most prized and personal possessions and I think I fell a little bit harder for him. He had 2 large black leather sofas in his living room and one rather large chair with an ottoman that was solid white and looked so very comfortable to curl up in. These were all centered around a huge ass TV and bookcase that was filled to the brim with CD's, DVD's, books, and pictures of all of his friends. When I was finished perusing and teasing him over the size of his TV I went to stand in front of him and tugged him to me by his belt loops.

"Wanna give me a tour of the rest of the place? I see stairs!" I told him teasingly.

We were in the middle of the tour when his cell phone began ringing incessantly. He ignored the call twice before answering it on a grumble. "What, Tyler?" He growled into the phone.

I watched as Edward's face changed from irritation to pissed off and back to irritated as Tyler explained what was going on. "Fine, I will be down in a second to talk things over." He said before she shut his phone off and tucked it back in his pocket.

"Everything okay?" I asked him as I wrapped my arms around his waist. We were standing in the middle of his master bedroom at the present moment.

He shook his head and twisted until he faced me and framed my face in his hands gently. "It seems like our head bartender for tonight has called in sick and with Emmett already being out because of Sariah being born, we are now short 2 people and I am needed down there tonight."

I groaned and nodded knowing that this meant we wouldn't get any quiet time until way later tonight. "It's fine, Edward. We knew this was a possibility and now it is a reality." I told him quietly as I reached up and kissed him hard on the lips. "What time do you need to be down there?" I asked him and looked at the watch on my wrist. "It's almost 7 now." I told him quietly knowing that the doors opened at 8 and stayed open till 5 on Friday and Saturday nights.

"I need to run down right now but I hope that I can come back up here for a little bit but I don't know if it's gonna be possible or not." He told me regretfully.

I nodded. "That's fine. Do you want me to stay or go back home?" I asked him quietly not liking the possibility of going home or really staying in his space by myself.

"Neither, really. Can you come down and keep me company? I am going to go call Seth in and then I am going to man the door all night." He asked me hopefully.

I smiled and nodded. "Lead the way, barman."

EPOV

I couldn't believe how amazing Bella was. She had to be exhausted by now as it was nearing 3 a.m. and she was still sitting on her stool behind me as I worked the line letting people in as people trickled out. "Baby, why don't you go upstairs and go to bed?"

She shook her head, her ponytail swinging in the cool night air. Thankfully the night wasn't as frigid as it had been. In Texas, you never could tell what the weather was going to be like from one day to the next. "Why not?" I asked her quietly as I motioned for the next group of scantily clad women to enter the club.

"Because I want to sleep with you and I don't feel right sleeping in your bed for the first time without you there." She answered on a yawn.

I groaned because this had been her answer for the past 3 hours and she wasn't relenting and I wasn't winning. It was a losing battle. "Whatever you say, baby." I told her and kissed her on top of her head and allowed her to lean into me as we stood just inside the door of the club.

I was never more grateful when I heard Seth holler out "LAST CALL! LAST CALL!" at 4:30. Bella was practically asleep leaned back against the door bundled in my thick winter jacket. "It's almost over, baby. I promise." I told her quietly and she just nodded and leaned against me as I leaned propped up against the door to the entrance of the club.

"Last call, folks. Sorry for the wait. Come back again and maybe you can get in then. I'm sorry for the wait." I told the line of folks that still littered the sidewalk out front of my pride and joy.

They groaned and left, waving in my direction. People started slowly trickling out of the club I sighed in relief because I knew that the night was almost over.

"That's it, boss. I've got it from here. Get your beautiful woman upstairs and into bed." Seth said as he came to stand by the door since no more alcohol was being served.

"Thanks, Seth. I'll see you later, man." I told him as I bent down and scooped Bella into my arms. "Goodnight, man." I told him as I passed by him and made way inside the club.

"Edward, I can walk, you know." Bella said softly as she snuggled into my neck.

I chuckled and just continued walking as I held her close to my chest.

BPOV

I snuggled into Edward's chest as he carried both of our tired bodies up the stairs to his house, with me locking both doors behind us. I yawned loudly as we entered his apartment and buried my head into his shoulder. He surprised me when he went to his chair and sat down with me in his lap. "Thought we was going to bed?" I asked him groggily.

He nodded and leaned his head back against the chair with his eyes closed. "We are." He said but made no motion to get back up.

I slipped off of his lap and slipped my shoes off and put them beside the chair before snatching up his hand tugging on him. "Come on, barman. You will sleep so much better if you can stretch out and I'm not sleeping in this chair right now. I'm much too tired for that." I pleaded with him and kept tugging with all my might but wasn't accomplishing anything because my socks kept sliding on the hardwood floors.

He quickly got to his feet which caused me to lose my balance but he caught me up in his arms and saved me from a disgraceful fall. "Let's go, baby. We both need a shower and then I want to show you something amazing before we go to bed." He told me and then he was the one tugging me behind him up the stairs.

We quickly ascended the 3 flights of stairs and into his sanctuary. His dark cherry sleigh bed stood center stage and the dark colors of the room were toned down with white/black comforter that was tossed haphazardly across the bed. Behind his bed was 1 of 2 walls of glass. They weren't just huge window, no it was floor to ceiling glass only broken up by dark blue curtains hanging at each end. "Edward, aren't you worried somebody is going to see you naked up here? Or watch you sleep?" I asked him curiously as I picked up my bag and headed into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

I heard him laughing as I shut and locked the door behind me. I heard the door knob jiggle just as I was stripping off my clothes for a quick shower. "Baby, why did you lock me out?" He whined against the door.

I just laughed at him and turned the water on to start heating up. I heard him grumble and walk away. I smiled as I stepped under the rainfall shower head to wash the grime of the long day and night away. I would like nothing more than to let Edward take a shower with me but I really wanted to wait before we took that next step and seeing him naked again wasn't going to help with that decision. If he was serious about wanting a relationship with me then maybe we needed to keep the actual act of having sex out of the equation for a while. That didn't mean we couldn't fool around with other things though, now I just had to think of a way to tell him about my decision.

I didn't walk out of the bathroom until I was fully dressed in my shorts and tank top. I spied him standing by the window that overlooked the basically deserted street below. "It's all yours, barman." I told him as I came to stand beside him and look out over the city of Houston.

"To answer your question about being worried someone is going to see you, all you have to do is hit this button" he motioned to a remote with a green and blue on it. He pointed to the blue button on the remote " and the smart screen activates and it is like a solid wall of frosted glass. And to top it off, this button here" he motioned to the green button on the remote "slides the curtains closed and it is like nighttime in here." He told me as he handed me the remote, kissed me on top of my head and went to the bathroom.

I stood there dumbfounded glaring at his back as he walked away from me without a second thought. I heard him chuckling behind me as he closed the bathroom door to take his shower. I stood there amazed at the views from downtown. You could see the beginnings of sunrise and wanted to see it before going to bed.

I was lost in my own thoughts when I felt Edward's smooth cheek graze mine and his warm arms wrap around my waist. "Are you okay, Bella?" He asked quietly.

I nodded and leaned back into him and brought my hand up to rub his smooth jaw. "I'm perfect. Why did you shave it all off?" I asked him curiously as we stood there and watched the streaks of color begin to shade the sky.

He shrugged. "It irritates me, most of the time. It will grow back, I promise." He stroked my shoulder and neck gently. "Plus, baby, you have stubble burn after today." He whispered against my neck.

I hummed and leaned further back into his chest as we watched the sky lighten.

"Why don't we go outside on the deck and watch the rest of the sunrise before we go to bed?" He suggested quietly.

I nodded and watched as he stepped to the corner and grabbed the window and just slid it open. "Wow! I didn't know those opened." I told him as he laughed at my enthusiasm.

He nodded. "It was a luxury that I wanted when I renovated the entire building. You are the only other person that has ever been up here and know about this." He told me as he grabbed my hand and led me outside to a chaise lounge that sat out on the most amazing deck I had ever seen. We settled on the chaise lounge cuddled together underneath a blanket that he mysteriously produced and watched the sunrise.

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**Please leave me a small review! It's really not that hard.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Who likes an unanticipated chapter?**

**Just in case people are wanting to get a picture in their minds about Bella's house. Here is a link to the house that I pictured for her. It is actually currently for sale in Houston, TX. ****zillow (.com) ****homedetails/2723-Trinway-Ln-Houston-TX-77043/28138979_zpid/**

**Just want to give a huge shoutout to my helper, cullengirl08, is a saint.**

**Thanks to all the few that have reviewed for previous chapters.**

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Chapter 5

Sunday, January 8, 2012

BPOV

I groaned as I tried to roll over but couldn't because of the arm and leg that was thrown over me. It had been an exhausting night that ended amazingly. Edward and I had snuggled on the chaise lounge out on his rooftop balcony and watched the sunrise before crawling into bed together and practically passing out.

"Morning, Baby." Edward groaned from behind me as he began to wake up and stretched out his stiff muscles.

I just groaned and buried my head in my pillow. I had a feeling I looked awful and he was going to see me at my worst. I hadn't thought about that when I had agreed to spend the night with him. "Morning, Barman." I mumbled around my pillow.

I heard Edward chuckle before he tugged me back into his side, but didn't say anything. I snuggled back into him and smiled when I felt his morning, well afternoon, erection press into my butt which caused him to groan deep in his throat.

"What time is it, Edward?" I asked him quietly after a few minutes.

He reached across me to where his iPhone was plugged into the charger on the nightstand. He groaned when he saw that it was 1:08 p.m. and had several missed calls and waiting text messages. I giggled at his groan and managed to worm myself out of his arms and hightail it to the bathroom so he could return his calls and check his messages in privacy.

I snatched my bag on the way to the bathroom so that I could at least brush my teeth and hair before we commenced on the rest of this day. I went ahead and got dressed in my comfy Sunday clothes, another pair of comfy jeans and one of my favorite Southern Belle shirts that said ''forget the knight in shining armor, give me a southern boy in boots and blue jeans!'' as well as my cowboy boots.

I had several Southern Belle t-shirts that I had collected over the years, but this one had been my favorite since Jake and I had broken up. It was bright yellow with neon green writing and stood out wherever I went.

Once I was finished, I walked back into Edward's bedroom and found him sitting against his headboard with the sheet draped across his waist as he talked on the phone. I snuck back to the side of the bed and he didn't see me or hear me because he had his head leaned back in frustration and his hand was tugging on the ends of his hair. "Yes, Rosie I will bring her with me when I come see you and the girls. I promise." Edward said as I crawled onto the bed on my hands and knees and straddled his thighs causing him to smile and open his eyes at me.

EPOV

Waking up this morning with Bella asleep right next to me was the best thing ever. Normally when I woke up next to a girl, I was terrified to wake her up as I snuck out of her place. But, this morning I had a smile on my face the moment I began having conscious thought because Bella's warmth was tucked under me as we were tangled together with the bed sheets. She quickly made an escape to the bathroom when she saw the screen of my phone. I groaned when I saw that I had several missed calls from Rosalie and Alice as well as a multitude of text messages.

I quickly opened up my text messages and skimmed over them.

Emmett- Heard you had a special girl helping with the door last night.

I couldn't believe the news had travelled so quickly.

Edward- You guys are worse than a group of old women with y'all's gossip. I'll see you guys in a lil bit.

There were several text messages from Rosie and Ali and I decided to nip it in the bud by just calling Rosalie, knowing that she would relate the message to Alice. I dialed Rosie's number and she immediately picked up.

"Well hello there, buddy of mine." She said rather cheerfully.

I groaned because I knew that I was about to get interrogated. I leaned my head back against the headrest and closed my eyes preparing myself. "Hello, Rosie. How's Sariah doing?" I asked trying to divert the attention off of me. It didn't work.

"She's fine, Buddy. I want to meet this woman." She said point blankly.

I groaned and dragged my hand through my hair, tugging on the ends trying to calm myself down. "You will, Rosie, I promise. We just started dating yesterday, give me some time please Buddy." I begged her, hoping that it would work.

Unfortunately it didn't. "No, Buddy. If you brought her into the club crowd then you are serious already. Bring her today to meet the newest addition." She stated in her mom tone.

I groaned and closed my eyes breathing deeply. "It's too soon, Rosie. I.." I trailed off because I didn't know what else to say.

"It's not too soon, Edward. I know you better than most people and I know that if you didn't already care for this girl then you wouldn't have her upstairs in your place. The place where only your closest confidants have been and baring your whole world to her. Bring her today, Edward." There was that mom voice that nobody could say no to.

"Fine, Rosie. I'll do it but if she dumps me it is all on you, be prepared for that." I told her. "Now, how are my girls doing?" I asked her attempting yet again to divert the attention from me and Bella.

She just chuckled. "They are driving Emmett crazy at the house. The doctors are here to kick us out. Promise me?"

I groaned and promised her anyways. "Yes, Rosie. I will bring her with me when I come see you and the girls. I promise."

I snapped my eyes open and a grin spread on my face as I felt Bella straddle my sheet clad hips. "Gotta go, Rosie. See you in a little bit." I told her hastily and tossed the phone on the bed and grabbed Bella's hips in my hands.

I frowned when I looked her over, she was fully dressed down to her boots. "Why are you dressed, Baby?" I asked her disgruntledly as I ran my hands up and down her jean clad thighs.

"Because I wanted to talk to you about something before we go any further." She said as she sat back on my thighs and put her hands over mine to stop them on her thighs. She looked like she had something serious on her mind and was trying to figure out how to word it correctly.

"Whatever it is, Baby, just spit it out." I told her encouragingly.

She smiled at me and took a deep breath before spitting it out in one breath. "Iwanttowaittohavesex." She dropped her head.

I tugged my hands free and framed her face in my hands and tipped her face up to look me in the eyes. "If you want to wait, then we will wait, baby." I told her gently and she smiled broadly at me before launching herself into my arms.

BPOV

After he accepted my request to wait and we made out for a few minutes, I hopped off of him and skipped downstairs calling over my shoulder "I'm going to make breakfast, Barman."

I rummaged around in his amazing kitchen and laid the makings for chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. I was in the middle of flipping pancakes in the air when Edward wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. "Smells good, Baby. You know you didn't have to cook for me." He told me quietly.

I nodded and flipped a small stack of pancakes on to two separate plates and turned to flip the bacon over. "How do you like your bacon? Crispy or flimsy?" I asked him curiously, as I plated mine because it was the perfect amount of flimsy and crispy.

"A little of both, it's perfect right now." He told me and I took his up, too and turned off the burners as he grabbed the plates and headed to the kitchen table.

"Tell me more about Rosalie, since obviously I'm going to meet her today." I told him around a bite of chocolaty goodness.

He groaned. "I'm sorry, Baby. She's very persuasive and usually gets what she wants. She has that 'mom voice' that nobody can say no to. If you really don't want to go then you don't have to."

I smiled and nodded. "It's fine. I would love to meet the woman who tames that big beast you call a friend and bouncer, and the girls sound amazing." I told him honestly.

He nodded and we dug into our breakfast and then cleaned the kitchen together before loading back up in his Volvo to head to the local toy store.

EPOV

I was nervous and antsy about Bella meeting Rosalie, because even though she has had six daughters it has not curbed her attitude or mouth any. She was blunt and honest to a fault, I guess that is what makes her and Emmett such a perfect pair. They really were made for one another, it's obvious to anybody who ever sees them out and about together.

After a quick trip to the toy store where we got each little girl their separate stuffed animal, we were on our way to Rosalie and Emmett's country plantation home.

They both came from money, and Rose had inherited her grandfather's country estate when he passed away 10 years ago and had renovated it to become an amazing home for her and her family. I heard Bella gasp as we drove up the driveway. It really was impressive. Huge oak trees lined each side of the driveway and put the entire drive in the shade. Until you pulled up to the house, you would think that someone pretentious lived here.

The yard was scattered with a variety of toys for the girls and three dogs ran crazy in the yard or lazed on the front porch. "Just wait, Baby. Their house is one of those old time plantation houses that Rosie's great-great granddaddy built and passed it down from generation to generation." I told her since we were almost to the house.

"Wow, just this driveway is amazing." She said as she looked at everything around her, taking it all in.

"This whole place is amazing. I agree." I told her as I took her hand in mine.

When we pulled into the driveway and I turned off the car, we just sat there for a few minutes in silence as Bella took in the grandeur of the house. It was a typical southern plantation house. It was huge, with two wrap around porches, one for each level of the house, and had huge stark white columns supporting the roof. The house was white clapboard with bright yellow shutters and during the summertime was overflowing with colorful flowers all around. "Come on, I wanna see Sariah and Rosie." I told Bella as I climbed from my car.

I chuckled when I got to her side and she hadn't moved yet. I opened her door and extended a hand to her which she took hesitantly. "You okay, Bella?" I asked her when I noticed her hand shaking as she climbed from the car.

She shook her head quickly as she audibly gulped. I cupped her face in mine and pressed my hips against hers urging her against the side of the car. "Hey, it's going to be fine. They may live in this big impressive house, but they are just down to earth people, Baby. I promise. Hell, Rosalie is probably still lounging around in her pj's and the floors are probably scattered with toys." I told her on a chuckle. It was true.

She nodded but still seemed nervous. I quickly kissed her lips and before I could deepen it a loud booming voice interrupted us.

"Yo, Eddie! Get your hands off your girl and come see my girls." Emmett bellowed from the front door.

He seemed to break the tension that was riddled in Bella's body because she relaxed and even let out a small chuckle.

I grabbed her hand and we practically ran up the steps. When Emmett spotted Bella he ran to her and scooped her up in his arms twirling her around causing her to laugh. "Hey, Baby Bell, nice to see you again." He said once he had sat her back on her feet.

When he released her she swayed a little bit and chuckled. "Nice to see you again, Emmett."

Rosalie could be heard through the cracked front door. "Dammit, Emmett McCarty, shut the damn door." We all chuckled and Emmett smiled broadly.

"Come on, Baby Bell, come meet my Rosie." He said and practically drug Bella through the front door as I ran back to the car to get the gifts that we had forgotten. Bella was in good hands now.

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**There is a link to the inspiration of Em and Rosie's house at the end of this chapter!**

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BPOV

I was so shocked to see the driveway that we had pulled into. It was like something out of a storybook fairy tale. When I saw the house, I had a bad feeling that I wouldn't fit in here with these people, and despite Edward's reassurances, I was still nervous.

That is until Emmett made his presence known and Rosalie scolded him for something as simple as leaving open the front door on a cold day. As Emmett dragged me into the house, I tried to look around as he drug me through the house and around piles of toys and a variety of baby stuff and into an amazing living room.

"Rosie, I brought you a present." He said as we entered into the room.

She just chuckled and stood up with a pink bundle in her arms. "She's not something you can give to people, you idiot." She told him as she walked over to me. "You must be Bella, I'm Rosalie but you can call me Rosie." She said and extended the bundle to Emmett and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

She was beautiful but so nice and down to earth. "Hi." I whispered as I tentatively hugged her. "It's nice to meet you."

She just chuckled at my nervousness. "There is no need to be nervous, Bella. Come on, have a seat." She said as she walked back to the couch and sat down gingerly.

I watched as Emmett put the pink bundle to his shoulder with a smile on his face, only to scowl at his wife. "Rosie, that is just wrong Babe." He griped as he turned and left the room.

I just looked at Rosalie confused as to what just happened. She just laughed before explaining. "He hates changing shitty diapers and she just filled that one up." I couldn't help but laugh with her as we both listened to Emmett complain from somewhere else in the house.

"Where are your other girls?" I asked her when I didn't see them anywhere in the room.

"They went out with their grandparents for a few hours. They should be back any minute now, I texted and let them know that Edward was coming." She explained. "They love their Eddie. They would all be pissed if they didn't get to see him."

I chuckled and nodded and was about to say that it was obvious that Edward loved them when we were interrupted by a bunch of racket coming in from outside. I arched my eyebrow at Rosalie who just chuckled. "They're here and have seen Edward." She said as she stood and went to the large expanse of windows covering the front of the room.

I followed behind her and a smile was brought to my face when I pulled back the curtain and saw what she saw. Edward was out there sprawled out on his back in the grass with five little girls all over him and they were all laughing.

"He's amazing with them. They all love him to pieces and have to see him at least twice a week or else it is hell around here." Rosalie explained as we stood there by the windows gazing at my boyfriend and her children.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

EPOV

"Baby, no, no, no." I told Bella as she attempted to mix the most basic drinks together. She said that she would like to help me tend bar so that she could spend a few extra hours with me on the nights that I was needed at the club. In the past two weeks we hadn't spent a single night apart except for the nights that I was at the fire house but even then we talked until she had to go to sleep for school the next morning.

We had made it through two rounds of my odd hours at the station so far and she said that the most stressful thing was when I got called out in the middle of a phone call and had to go quickly but she was otherwise supportive.

She and Rosalie had bonded over the fact that their boyfriend and husband were away playing with fire. That Sunday afternoon when we had woken up, I had learned two things rather quickly about my lovely girlfriend. The first being that she was not a morning person and required at least two cups of sugary coffee and something to eat before becoming functional. The second being that she became extremely nervous when meeting new people who she was going to have to form a relationship with, but once she got over that nervousness, she flourished.

Now, she was standing behind my bar as I sat on the bar stool in front of her on a very slow Tuesday night and was attempting to mix a White Gummy Bear shot. It was a popular drink on Wednesday's Lady's Night.

"Damnit!" She exclaimed as she dumped that glass out, rinsed it out and started again. This would be her fourth try and she was getting frustrated.

"You've gotta count as you pour, Baby. Just like I showed you." I told her gently as she concentrated on pouring the cherry vodka.

She only need a ½ ounce but she kept forgetting to count correctly and ended up with more like ¾ ounce.

She nodded and concentrated as she attempted it again. "Cloud 2." And she tipped the bottle back up and I smiled because that was pretty damn close but she wasn't finished yet.

She finished up the shot and slid it across the bar to me with a smile on her face. "Try that one Barman."

I sipped on the shot and sat it down and smiled at her. "Perfect, Baby, absolutely perfect." I leaned onto the bar much like she did that very first night and she leaned towards me and met me in the middle.

Our attraction and chemistry hadn't waned any but we still hadn't taken that step, because we both agreed that we wanted our relationship to be based on more than just sex. Admittedly, when Bella first broached the subject of waiting a little bit I was disgruntled because we had a powerful chemistry and I was usually rock hard whenever she was around, but eventually I saw her way of thinking was smart.

I passed my tongue across her lips teasingly but she wasn't in a teasing mood obviously because she gripped my shirt and held on as she parted her lips and tangled her tongue with mine. I groaned and pulled apart. "Baby, we can't…" I trailed off at her groan and nod.

She plopped back down on her boot clad feet and I leaned back against my bar stool. She looked adorable yet sexy in her get up. She had her hair in a high ponytail with low riding jeans tucked into her brown cowboy boots and what is supposed to be a conservative Southern Bell t-shirt on. She made the shirt anything but conservative when after about an hour of learning the trick to pouring drinks she got hot. She rolled the bottom of the shirt up until it showed about four inches of her taught stomach and had banded it together in the back. The saying was cute and snarky, and so was my beautiful girlfriend: "We love to dance and love to flirt and we ain't scared of a lil of dirt!"

She had strolled in here in her school outfit of light brown dress pants and conservative white shirt that tied on the side and silver ballet flats, hair curled lightly down her back and her glasses on. She said they made her look more professional and less like a student but she silently detested them. She had come in and immediately went upstairs to change while I finished cooking our dinner. She kept several outfits here and usually kept a bag packed in her truck.

Because of the club, we spent most of my off evenings here so I could be on hand if I was needed. Except for Sunday's where we retreated to her house until we both had to leave on Monday morning.

"Okay, now do you want to go upstairs or do you want to learn some more?" I asked her secretively, silently wanting her to go upstairs with me but part of me wanting to teach her some more drink combinations.

She shrugged her shoulder in indifference. "It's pushing seven o'clock, Baby, and Seth can handle this crowd if you want to go upstairs." I told her so she wouldn't worry about leaving Seth by himself.

"One more and then we can go chill out." She asked sweetly and I nodded.

"What drink choice do you want to learn now?" I asked her as I slid a tiny list over to her that contained the drink combos that we normally fixed. We could make just about anything, just because it wasn't on the list didn't mean we couldn't serve it. Customers rarely saw that list, it was the main copy of the drinks that we all specialized in.

"How about a Flaming Blow Job? Angela said those are good." She asked with a smirk on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest and faced off with me.

I shook my head. "Those are made in large quantities. I will show you how to make that tomorrow night, they are good and actually very popular. Pick another one." I told her as I faced off with her.

BPOV

The past two weeks had been absolutely amazing except for the fact that I missed him like crazy when he was at the station, but now I had Rosalie who understood what I was going through. I was a little scared at first at how quickly we were moving, but Rose said it was because of the dangerous job he had and I subconsciously didn't want to miss anything. When he wasn't at the station I stayed at his place except for on Sunday's, and that's because the club was closed on Sunday's.

I had been extremely nervous the first time I went to meet Rose and Emmett outside of the club atmosphere. But that had all been squelched when Emmett had picked me up and swung me around and Rosalie embraced me with open arms. I had yet to meet the hyper Alice, even though I had heard plenty about her from Jasper but she has been out of the country for the past month taking care of her father who was in a boating accident in Italy.

I tapped my chin, thinking of other drinks that Angela and Bree had told me about without having to look at the cheat sheet. "How about a Slow Comfortable Screw Against the Wall?" I asked him with my cocky grin firmly in place.

He groaned and nodded. "Fine you vixen." He told me as he stood to come around behind the bar with me. We were practically being ignored by everybody in the place. There were maybe thirty customers and Seth in here and they had pretty much left us alone as Edward taught me how to pour some drinks properly. We had spent the first hour of this training session on learning how to pour straight shots or simple drinks, like Tequila Sunrises, or 7 and 7's.

He plucked out all of the bottles that I would need for the drink and lined them up in the order that I would need them. I smiled when I saw the bottle of Southern Comfort because that brought back memories of the first night we met.

Edward came and stood behind me, plastering his sexy self to my back and reaching around me to show me how to pour the alcohol's into the glass. I groaned and tried my damndest to pay attention, but it was seriously faltering with him being so close.

"Edward, I can't…" I trailed off when he placed his lips against my neck all while pouring liquor into the glass.

"Can't what, Baby?" He growled against my neck.

I couldn't form a coherent thought more less speak an intelligible sentence.

"You said you wanted a slow comfortable screw against the wall, Baby? Is that what you still want?" He asked seductively against my neck.

I nodded and allowed my head to fall back against his shoulder, giving up all pretenses of paying attention.

"I can't promise slow or comfortable but I can promise fantastic and orgasmic, will that be okay with you Baby?" He whispered against my ear as I had to consciously remind myself that there were people within hearing vicinity of us.

"Yes, Edward, please." I begged him quietly, pressing my hips back into his and rubbing up and down his erection.

"What about the no sex rule, Baby? Can't screw against the wall with that rule in place, now can we?" He growled out frustrated.

I shook my head and groaned because I really wanted him to make love to me right now, more than anything else at the moment. "Screw the rules, Barman. Please make love to me. Anywhere. Anyway. Just NOW." I growled out forcefully.

He immediately stepped back and the next thing I knew I was seeing the world upside down. More specifically, I saw his ass and legs upside down because he had tossed me over his shoulder and strolled purposefully across the floor towards his door.

"Your wish, my command, Baby." He said when he had shut and locked the door behind us.

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**Please review!**

**As promised the link to Em/Rose's house: **** . **


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks to the ones that reviewed! Disclaimer: SM owns, not I. I'm sorry if I don't get around to replying to each individual review. If you ask a question or something more than just 'good chapter' or 'great job' I usually try to reply but college classes are kicking my rear end so please be patient with me. This does not mean that I don't enjoy each and ever 'good chapter' and 'great job' review that I get. Each and every one of them puts a smile on my face when my phone chirps to let me know I have a new email!**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

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Chapter 6

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

BPOV

I was tired of waiting, the sexual chemistry between the two of us was unbearable and I was tired of holding him back. I ached to feel him moving inside of me, on top of me, below me, behind me, I didn't give a damn as long as we were together.

I was beyond sexually frustrated, yes we had done lots of other things in the past two weeks but nothing compared to actually making love with someone you greatly cared about, possibly even loved. In all the years that Jake and I had dated, I hadn't even felt a fraction of what I feel for Edward in the two ½ weeks that we have been dating.

I have actually spent more time with Edward in two weeks than I spent with Jake in a month if not two months when we first started dating. I understand that every relationship is different, but this one just felt right where as I stayed with Jake for so long because he reminded me of home and was my last bit of my parents that I had left.

I was jerked out of my thoughts when I felt my world spinning again as he tossed me onto the bed in his bedroom with the night sky pouring in through the windows. "Last chance, Baby, are you absolutely sure about this?" He asked me as he hovered over me on his forearms, our lower halves pressed firmly together.

I groaned at the feel of his erection pressed tightly against my soaked paradise. "I need you, Edward. NOW!" I told him forcefully as I tugged him down on top of me.

We both groaned aloud as our bodies moved against each other in the most delicious way. My nipples were aching as his chest pressed into mine and my core was throbbing as his erection teased her. I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist and rubbed sensually against him causing him to drop his head against my shoulder in agony and pleasure all at the same time. "No teasing, Edward. I need it too badly." I begged him causing him to groan again before lifting himself off of me and back onto his knees, effectively separating our bodies.

I whimpered in agony and he just grinned evilly at me. "No teasing, Baby. All pleasing tonight." He reassured me, but I was leery about that because he had that gleam in his eyes.

And boy was I right about that gleam in his eye because instead of stripping his clothes or my clothes off, he got up from the bed completely. "Edward…" I complained as I squirmed on the bed slightly.

"Isabella…" He teased right back.

He smiled at me before reaching behind his head and grabbing a hold of his t-shirt and whipping it up and off his head in one smooth stroke, baring his amazing abs and chest to me. "Please don't tease me. We've had plenty of foreplay in the past two weeks to last us a lifetime." I complained when he didn't seem eager to get to it.

He just chuckled lightly as he popped the button on his pants and shimmied out of them, leaving him in just his boxer briefs that were stretched beyond belief. He still didn't say anything as he squatted back down on the bed between my knees.

"You can never have too much foreplay, Isabella, and I fully intend to take my time with you." He said saucily as he tugged on my shirt, removing it completely.

EPOV

I couldn't believe that this amazing woman was all mine, or would be soon enough. I took my time stripping her of her clothes until she lay before me completely bare and completely frustrated at my slow pace. "Isabella, good things come to those who wait." I told her as I leaned down and sucked her nipple into my mouth quickly, rendering her speechless.

She groaned and arched her hips up off the bed and rubbed her wetness against my hardness. "Please…" She groaned when she found the slightest bit of friction against her hardened clit.

I groaned right along with her because she just so happened to find that friction against my boxer brief covered hardness and I could feel her wetness through them. I quickly stood back up and practically ripped off my underwear before looking down at the passion riddled woman lying squirming on my bed. "Baby, you are absolutely beautiful." I whispered as I looked down at her.

She was laying there her hips seeking friction, her hands clutching the bed sheets, her lips swollen from our kisses, her nipples hard due to her passion, her eyes hooded and darkened to almost black, and her core was glistening with her want of me. She was absolutely beautiful and all mine. "You are beautiful too, Barman, but you are gonna be dead if you don't get your sexy ass back in this bed right now." She told me fiercely.

I chuckled and reached into my nightstand searching for a condom when she reached over and placed a hand on my forearm. "Don't. I'm clean and I get the shot. Please, Edward?" She said softly and I nodded.

"I'm clean too, Baby, I promise. Are you sure about this?" I asked her as I crawled back up the bed and settled myself on top of her.

She nodded her head eagerly as she felt my cock tease her entrance. "I'm sure, Edward. Please….oh god…please." She begged as I took my hardness in my hand and ran it up and down her slit, spreading her wetness and teasing her clit gently.

"Oh, Baby, I fully intend to please you tonight. Are you ready?" I asked her as I slapped the head of my cock against her clit.

She jerked under me and wrapped her legs around my waist, tugging me further into her. "So help me-"I shut her up as I slammed into her in one smooth stroke.

BPOV

Making love with Edward was astronomical on the Richter scale, and my body knew it. I cuddled further into Edward's side in the early morning hours and stuck my cold nose to his neck which caused him to groan and roll over and tuck me into his side and throw the comforter over us. "Baby, why is your nose so cold?" He asked groggily as he ran his hands up and down my naked back.

I shrugged my shoulder and snuggled further into him. "It's cold in here, Edward." I groaned and pressed my cold feet to his warn shins and he jerked up in the bed.

"That's not fair, Baby. You know where the thermostat is if you're cold." He complained as flipped the covers back and stood from the bed to go turn up the heat.

I giggled and snuggled back into his warm spot in the bed as I watched his sexy naked form stroll across the room and down the stairs, precisely why I didn't want to get up. The thermostat was in the kitchen on the second floor. I chuckled when I saw his amazing body come back up the stairs with a throw blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

"Cold, Barman?" I asked him.

He nodded and made a beeline for the bed and I lifted up the comforter so he could slide back under them and snuggle with me some more.

"It's fricken freezing in here. Did you mess with the thermostat, Bella?" He asked once he was situated back into his warm spot with me practically on top of him.

I shook my head and nestled it into the crook of his neck, snuggling deep for warmth. "No, why would I? I was the one that woke up with body parts freezing off." I chuckled.

He stroked a hand up and down my back soothingly. Well, it was soothing until he stroked down my butt and hiked my leg further up his stomach, effectively putting his impressive erection against my soaked center. "I know a perfect way to warm you up, Baby." He said as he arched his hips and slipped gently inside of me causing me to groan aloud.

"Oh God!" I exclaimed as he filled me in the most glorious of ways. I felt his hands tugging on me, and I settled on top of his hips, with him buried deep inside of me and the blanket wrapped around my shoulders.

EPOV

The next time we woke up, the sun was peeking underneath the edge of the blackout curtains. I couldn't tell what body parts were mine and what parts were Bella's because we so tangled up in each other. Last night had been amazing, minus the freezing my ass off part, but Bella made up for that one rather nicely.

I glanced at the alarm clock sitting on my nightstand and groaned when I saw that it 6:15. I knew that the alarm would be going off soon because Bella had school today and I had to go visit Rosie and the girls.

I stroked a hand up her side and across her stomach and pressed my hips into her butt that was nestled tightly against mine. "Bella, Baby, it's time to wake up." I whispered against her neck, scraping my overnight stubble gently against her shoulder and neck, knowing that would get her going.

She shook her head and groaned burying her head in her pillow and tugging my arms tighter around her. "I don't wanna get up." She said groggily.

I just chuckled. "You got to Baby, you got school today. Unless…" I trailed off because I was almost certain that she wouldn't play hooky and stay home with me.

She just chuckled and shook her head again just as the alarm went off. She reached out and slapped it, turning it off. "I can't. I have a test to give my kids today." She said quietly as she extracted herself from my arms and sat up. "I wish I could just stay here in bed with you all day but we both have things to do today." She said as she leaned over and pecked me gently on the lips before climbing from the bed and limping to the bathroom.

I groaned knowing she was right and I also didn't want to let sex overrule our relationship now that we had taken that step. I heard the shower start up and I made my way downstairs to fix us something to eat before she left for the school. I looked out my kitchen window and smiled when I saw her vintage pick-up truck sitting down there beside my shiny new Volvo. I had hinted around in the past two weeks about my love for vintage vehicles and she really had no clue, but she would after this weekend.

Rosie, Em, Jazz, and I were planning to go to the garage tomorrow for a road trip now that Sariah was two weeks old, but Bella is the only one out of all of us that had a regular job and wouldn't be able to come. Usually we split all the kids up amongst the vehicles and they loved being by themselves in a car and usually chattered nonstop the entire way there and back.

I was brought out of my thoughts by the sounds of Bella walking down the stairs. I smiled and sat her plate of bagels with cream cheese spread and sugary coffee at her place at the bar and she smiled up at me. "Thanks, Barman, it smells delicious." She said as she picked up her coffee cup and smiled as she inhaled the aroma.

She was a lady of simple pleasures.

I chuckled and propped up against the counter and sipped on my coffee as she downed her breakfast and coffee. "So, what do you have planned for the girls today?" She asked as she held out her coffee mug for a refill.

"Nothing really, I'm just gonna go over there and play with them for a few hours and give Rosie a break. Emmett is sending her to the spa while I watch the girls and he's gonna clean the house or something." I told her as I sat her now refilled cup in front of her.

She nodded. "I think I'm gonna take tomorrow off." She said out of the blue. That brought a smile to my face because that meant she would be able to go on our road trip with us and meet Alice, who got back into town last night.

"That's great; you can go on our road trip with us then." I told her without thought.

"What road trip? I will still have to go back to school on Friday and you have a shift Friday morning." She said quickly.

I nodded. "I know, but the gang and I always take our vehicles out for small road trips to keep them tuned up. It is scheduled for tomorrow, and you will get a chance to meet Alice." I explained to her. "It's not overnight, a couple of hours at most because we each will have an offspring."

She smiled and nodded. "Sounds like a plan. I would love to see your collection of vehicles and to meet the spunky Alice that everyone has told me about." I smiled and took her plate and cup and sat them in the sink.

We walked down the stairs into the living room where her school bag sat with her shoes. "I gotta run, Barman. I will see you this afternoon." She said as she slipped her shoes on and pecked me on the lips before going out the backdoor.

I sighed as I stood there watching her climb into her truck and wave back up at me and blow me a kiss. Something tugged in my chest as I watched her back up and go through the security gates.

I think I was falling in love with this woman. No, I was almost certain that is what I was feeling.

BPOV

I couldn't explain the feeling that was in my stomach this morning as I sat in my truck knowing Edward was upstairs and I was leaving. I looked up and smiled when I saw him standing there looking at me with such a serious expression on his face. I smiled at him and waved at him before being silly and blowing him a kiss before I backed out and headed towards the school.

I made it to my class with two minutes to spare before first bell and I used that time to get my bearings. My first class was the toughest one of the day because of two evil little devil spawns who made my life a living hell. Jane and Alec, they are twins of a Texas oil baron and were insanely rich and made everyone know it. I smiled at my students as they came in. Most of them greeted me as they walked to their seats, but not before laying their cell phones/electronic devices in my basket on my desk.

I groaned when I saw Alec and Jane walk in at the very last minute. They smiled evilly at me and I just had a gut feeling that this day was about to go from great to bad rather quickly. "Jane, Alec, I need your cell phones and any other electronic devices put in the basket please." I told them quickly. This was a rule of mine on test days because of cheating; they could pick them back up when they turned their test in. Jane grumbled but handed her phone and IPod to Alec who came and placed them all in my basket and said a polite 'Good morning, Ms. B.' before making his way back to his desk.

When the bell rang announcing the beginning of the class I stood up from my desk and addressed the class. "Good morning, guys! Are y'all ready for the test?" I asked them quickly and most of them nodded and said 'yes, ma'am.

"Ms. Swan, I am not a guy and detest being referred to one." Jane said in her haughty voice that grated on my nerves.

I groaned and gritted my teeth and smiled at her. "I'm sorry, Jane. I know that you are not a guy, I wasn't referring to each individual, I was referring to the entire class. I'm sorry if it offended you, it was not intentional. Now, who is ready for the test? Show me your hands." I told them as I grabbed the stack of tests off my desk. I had made two copies.

I walked around the room and handed the students that made a show of hands the first test and told them that they could begin.

I grabbed the second stack and began passing it around to everyone who hadn't raised their hands, reserving a special copy for both Jane and Alec. They were bad about copying off other people's tests and then claiming that the other person had cheated. So, I had made them a special copy, everybody had the same exact questions just in a different order.

Once I had all the tests passed out I went back to my desk. "You may begin. You have one hour and ten minutes to complete the tests. If you don't finish in that amount of time, the questions left unanswered will be marked incorrect. Please remember to write in complete sentences and to use proper grammar, not slang terms." I told them before I sat down to wait the time out. I hated test days, because all I usually got to do was sit there and play on my phone.

We were about ¾ of the way through the class when Jane made an outrageous explosion, disturbing the rest of the students around her who hadn't completed their tests yet. "Ms. Swan, this isn't fair. These questions are so hard; nobody in their right minds can answer them correctly." She complained throwing her test at me.

I groaned and stood up to stand my ground. "Ms. Volturi, the questions are not yes or no, they are interpretive. You are required to simply give your opinion on certain scenarios that took place in the book." I told her as I went and picked up her test and laid it back on her desk. I leaned close to her. "I will not tolerate this behavior in my classroom, Jane." I told her quietly before turning around and heading back to my desk with my head held high.

The rest of the class went quietly; the students that were finished early laid their head on their desks, read quietly, or played on their phones.

When the bell rang, Jane was the only one with a test still and she broke out the tears when I told her to turn in her test because time was up. "Jane, please turn in your test and proceed to your next class." I told her as the rest of the students filed out of my classroom with a smile on their faces and a wave.

She picked up her test and backpack and made her way to my desk, and had tears streaming down her face by the time she got there. I shook my head, because she tried this every time we took a test or quiz in this class. "It's not going to work Jane; you had the same amount of time as the rest of the students." I told her before she could beg for more time to take the test.

She huffed and tossed the test at me before strolling out of the class with her head held high and Alec shooting an apologetic smile my way. Alec was a rather nice young man but usually did what his sister told him to do, which usually led to them both getting in trouble together. There was only one difference that was glaringly obvious to me, Alec studied whereas Jane didn't. Alec had straight A's where Jane struggled to pull in C's and D's.

The rest of my day went fairly smoothly and I cut out early since my last period was a planning period anyways. I made a pit stop in the office on my way out and dropped off my request form for taking tomorrow off.

"Mrs. Cope, it is so nice to see you again." I told the seventy year old secretary as I entered the office.

"Ahhh, Ms. Swan, I was just about to call you, somebody must think you are awfully special. These are for you." She said as she slid a beautiful array of flowers towards me. The pink, red, and yellow roses sat in a little square squat vase and were absolutely beautiful and perfect.

I blushed and ducked my head and took the card stuck in the middle of them and pulled it out.

Always on my mind, Ms. Swan

Love, Your Edward.

"Well, who are they from, Bella?" Mrs. Cope asked eagerly.

"My boyfriend, Edward." I told her as I leaned down to smell the roses and smile into them.

"You are one lucky woman." She said before she turned around to finish entering stuff into the computer.

"Thanks, Mrs. Cope, I actually need a request form to take tomorrow off." I told her after a few quiet moments.

She nodded. "You know, you could have just called in, in the morning." She said as she slid the form to me.

I nodded and filled out the form stating personal reasons for why I needed the day off. "Thanks Mrs. Cope, I will see you on Friday." I told her as I picked up my roses and made my way out to my truck. Edward always knew how to turn a bad day into a great day!

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**There is a link to the flowers at the end!**

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

EPOV

Bella was about to see one of my few obsessions, restoring antique cars. My dad and I had started restoring cars in his spare time when I was about ten or so and had continued until the day he died.

We were currently having a standoff in my kitchen. "Baby, why can't I drive?" I pleaded with her to let me drive her truck but she wasn't having any of it.

She shook her head and took another sip of her coffee. "Nope." She said popping the 'p' and smirking at me over the rim of her cup.

She had another Southern Belle t-shirt on. This one said "If you oboey the rules, you miss all the fun." I swear this woman had a Southern Belle shirt for everyday of the month because I had yet to see her wear the same one twice.

"Why not? It's just a short drive to the garage." I told her, knowing that, that wasn't being completely honest. The garage was almost an hour away at Emmett's parent's house.

"Nope, Lucille is my baby and you can't drive her." She said as she sat her cup in the sink and sauntered to my side, wrapping her arms around my waist and standing on her tiptoes.

"I let you drive Camille though." I protested.

She just laughed and shook her head before pecking me on the lips. "You let me drive Camille to the grocery store and bitched the entire time." She told me, reminding me of the one time I had let her drive my Volvo, the one and only time.

I grumbled good naturedly and wrapped my arms around her waist and sunk my hands into her back pockets and grabbed a handful off her delicious ass. "Mmmm." She moaned against my lips and looped her arms around my neck and practically scaling my body to wrap her legs around my hips.

I walked forward until my knees hit the cabinets and I sat her down on the countertop and devoured her mouth eagerly.

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**Here is the promised link to the flowers to help put a visual to the words!**

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**put it all together exactly without spaces. It really is a beautiful display of roses.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far!**

**I'm sorry if I don't get around to replying to each individual review. If you ask a question or something more than just 'good chapter' or 'great job' I usually try to reply but college classes are kicking my rear end so please be patient with me. This does not mean that I don't enjoy each and ever 'good chapter' and 'great job' review that I get. Each and every one of them puts a smile on my face when my phone chirps to let me know I have a new email!**

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Chapter 7

Thursday, January 26, 2012

BPOV

I couldn't believe we just defiled his kitchen but it was amazing the things we did to each other. I was in the downstairs bathroom trying to fix my hair and clothes before we left. We were already late and Rose was constantly texting me while Emmett was texting Edward.

My phone beeped again from my ass end pocket and I pulled it out and growled at it.

_Rosalie- Stop groping that hot piece of ass you call a boyfriend and bring your ass on. I'm ready to ride and pretend like I only have one kid instead of seven._

I giggled as I read her message because she constantly referred to Emmett as one of her kids instead of her husband. Instead of texting her back I just called her instead, she picked up on the third ring. "Isabella Swan, you guys better almost be here." She said instead of the normal greeting.

I just laughed as I left the bathroom. "Nope, sorry Rosie, but we are leaving now and will be there soon." I told her as I found Edward lounging in the living room tapping at his phone, obviously texting someone.

"WHAT?!" She shouted at me.

"Sorry, we got um….uh…" I paused not knowing how to explain our lateness without giving everything away.

"You guys were busy fucking like rabbits. Yeah, yeah, I know the routine. I got six kids from doing that." She said haughtily.

I groaned and laughed. "We're leaving now Rose. I promise." I told her before I hung up the phone and stuck it back in my back pocket.

Edward looked up at me and smirked at me. "We gotta go, Em said Maggie has been begging for me all morning since she found out we are doing a road trip today." Edward told me as he stood up and grabbed my hand, tugging me towards the door.

"I just told Rose that we were leaving now. She figured out why we are late." I told him as I snatched my purse and jacket from the bench inside his back door.

He just laughed. "Yeah, I have walked in on them too many times than I ever care to remember. It's amazing that they don't have twenty kids as much as they fool around." Edward told me as he helped me in the drivers' side of my precious Lucille.

I had won the argument with him over who could drive my baby and he climbed happily in the passenger seat. I had promised to make it up to him again later tonight, after we got back.

EPOV

Her truck drove amazingly well and I was correct in my original assumption that she would look sexy as hell driving it. Even though we had just defiled my kitchen counters, I was hard as a rock again at the sight of her handling the truck like a pro.

"You never did tell me where you got the truck." I asked her quietly as we headed out of town.

She sighed quietly and I noticed her hands tighten on the steering wheel slightly. "My dad and I worked on this truck from the time I was a baby until the day he died. I am not mechanically inclined by any means; I usually just sat out there and kept him company as he tinkered on Lucille." She told me quietly.

I sighed because that is what got me interested in antique vehicles also, my father. We had so much in common it was uncanny at times. "I understand, Baby, more than you probably realize." I told her quietly as I gripped her hand in mine over the manual shifter.

"He gave Lucille to me on my sixteenth birthday, even though she wasn't fully restored yet." She told me and flipped down the sun visor over her head and handed me a photograph.

I looked at the picture and smiled at a Baby Bella sitting under the hood of this very truck with grease smeared all over her hands and face smiling a toothless grin at the camera. A man, who was obviously her father, was standing behind her smiling broadly down at her.

"You look just like your father, Bella." I told her quietly. She nodded and put the picture back above her sun visor and we drove in silence for a little bit, just letting the hum of the engine keep us company.

"I want to go back home." She told me quietly.

I jerked my gaze to hers. "Is everything okay, Baby? I didn't mean for this to bring up bad memories of your parents." I told her quickly.

She shook her head. "I don't mean back to your house or my house. I meant back to Washington, back to Forks. Home." She said so quietly I almost didn't hear her.

"What is stopping you then, Baby?" I asked her quietly. The thought of losing her was almost unbearable, but if this is what she really wanted, then we would work something out.

"I don't mean I want to move there, I just want to go for a visit. Check on my parents' house; show you around where I grew up at. Make new good memories there and relive some of the old good memories." She explained.

I breathed a sigh of relief at her explanation. "Then we will go. You just let me know when and I will get the time off work and get someone to cover the bar and other stuff." I told her reassuringly.

I leaned over and kissed the side of her head and she smiled at me. "I love you, Bella." I told her quietly and she quickly jerked her gaze to mine.

I smiled at her and nodded my head causing her to smile back at me. She quickly jerked her gaze back to the road before pulling over on the side of the road and turning the truck off. "Edward, it's too quick. It's…" I interrupted her with a kiss to her mouth.

"It's not. Wanna know how I know?" I asked her quickly.

She nodded and I smiled at her. "I know because when I lay awake with you in bed, I picture our future together. When I am at the fire station, I am more cautious than ever because I am scared to not be able to come home to you. I know because when you leave me every morning to go to work, you take my heart with you. I know because when I kiss you, I feel at peace. I love you, Isabella Marie Swan." I told her quietly as I stroked the side of her face affectionately.

She just looked me deep in the eyes with tears in her eyes.

BPOV

Could this man be any more perfect? My eyes filled with tears as he framed my face and stared deep into my eyes as he told me the most heartfelt things I had ever heard. I kissed him quickly on the lips and whispered against his lips. "I love you too, Barman."

He kissed me passionately then, stealing my breath away and rekindling my passions again. I scrambled over my gear shift and into his lap, straddling his hips and rocking my hips into his.

I dug my fingers into his hair and gripped it tightly as my hips rocked into his, seeking friction. His hands gripped my hips and pressed me tightly against his aching erection. "Baby, we gotta stop." He groaned against my lips and pushed my hips further away from his hard cock and onto his knees.

I sat there breathing heavily, fingers scratching his scalp lightly as we stared into each other's eye. "I love you, Edward." I whispered lightly causing him to smile broadly at me.

He lifted me up and sat me back over in the driver seat, pecking me on the nose. "I love you too, Bella."

With that said, I cranked the truck and pulled back out on the highway. During the trip to Cleveland, Edward and I chatted about several different things. He explained to me that Emmett and Jasper came from money also and that Jasper had been adopted by the McCarty's when he was just a toddler. His house had burned down and his parents had been killed during the fire and Jasper had been severely burned which led to Em and Jasper becoming firefighters.

I told him some more stories about growing up in Forks and he shared a few stories of growing up in Chicago. "When do you want to make the trip to Forks?" Edward asked me quietly as we entered into the city limits of Cleveland, TX.

"Not until school is out at least." I told him quietly as I drove through the small town.

"Did you know that Em and Jasper grew up here?" He asked changing the subject.

I shook my head and smiled. "I bet it's nice to be so close to family yet far enough away to not be stuck up each other's asses all day." I told him.

He nodded. "Since I met Em and Jazz back in college, Margaret and George have become like family to me. We have BBQ's out here all the time during the summer; all major holidays and birthdays are celebrated here now since they are getting older. It's easier for all of us to travel out here to them instead of them traveling to us, plus it gives us a chance to visit our shed." He explained.

"I bet that's nice." I commented, not knowing what else to say.

"They are going to take you under their wing, you just wait." He said as he directed me where to turn and all I could see was trees, cows, and horses.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" I asked him as I turned down a dirt road that had no house in sight.

He just chuckled. "They live past those trees and our shed sits behind the house. They farm these cows just for the fun of it and these horses are everybody's. When you become a part of the family, they give you the next foal that is born." He explained and I gasped as I rounded around the trees and saw the amazingly beautiful brick house with spanish style slate tiles on the roof, surrounded by trees and a perfectly manicured lawn that stood in front of me. It was amazing and beautiful.

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**There is a link at the bottom for a picture of the inspiration of George/Margaret's home.**

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When I pulled to a stop in the driveway there was a hoard of people that spilled out of the house, most of them under three feet tall with blonde curls. "Here we go." Edward said as he opened the door and climbed out as the girls attacked him with screams of "Eddie! Eddie!"

Cute little Maggie launched herself at Edward and he picked her up and swung her around gleefully. Annabelle and Victoria toddled to my side and Victoria held her arms up at me. I smiled at them both. "Hello girls." I told them as I kissed Annabelle on top of the head and picked Tori up.

"Are you girls excited?" I asked them as I grabbed Anna's hand and we headed back towards their parents.

"Yes, B, I can't wait to see the ocean." Annabelle said excitedly.

"We're going to the beach, huh?" I asked them because Edward had been really secretive about our destination.

Tori nodded eagerly. "Uh huh." I grinned because it didn't take me any time at all to get the basic idea of our destination figured out.

"Hey guys!" I greeted Rose, Em, Jasper, and a little pixie of a woman I presumed to be Alice because she was sidled up to Jasper. "Why don't you girls go get Eddie? He is excited to see you, girls." I told them as I sat Tori down and they took off again for Edward who was sprawled in the grass rolling around with Maggie, Skylar, and Lillian.

I stuck my hand out to who I assumed was Alice. "It's nice to finally meet you, Alice." I told her quickly.

She smiled at me before launching herself into my arms and wrapped around me like a spider monkey, tumbling us both back into the grass. "Bella! We are going to be amazing friends." I groaned as I lay shocked in the grass.

"We're not gonna be anything if you don't get off of me, Alice." I grumbled to her which caused her to laugh at me.

"Silly woman, you can't get rid of me now." She said without moving off of me. She was suddenly plucked off of me and tossed aside and I was yanked up so fast it caused my head to spin.

"You okay there, Baby Bell?" Emmett asked as he proceeded to dust off my back.

I smiled at him. "Thanks, Em. Maybe a little warning next time, huh, big guy?" I asked him and patted him on the arm as I dusted the grass off the front of me.

"But, BB, that takes all the fun out of it." He chuckled and made his way out to Edward as Lillian was throwing a fit for her daddy because Edward had tackled her to the ground and she got grass in her hair.

I looked at Rose who stood there smiling at me. "Now, aren't you glad I didn't tackle you like that when I first met you?" She chuckled.

I nodded. "Very. I may have run away scared for my life." I told her jokingly.

Jasper was consoling an upset Alice.

I started to say something to her to reassure her that I was really okay but Rose put a hand on my shoulder to stop me. "Uh uh. She needs a little sobering on occasion." I just laughed. Leave it to Rose to say what I was obviously thinking. "Come on lemme introduce you to Ma and Pop." She said and tugged me inside the house.

EPOV

After I rolled around in the grass with the girls for a little bit, Emmett helped me up as he held Lilly bug in his arms. "Is Eddie forgiven yet, Lilly bug?" I asked the little girl who shook her head and buried her head in her daddy's shoulder with a profound "No" coming from her lips.

I just chuckled and grabbed up Maggie and Victoria and headed inside the house where everybody had retreated. "That's okay. I still love you."

Emmett chuckled. "Lilly bug, what are you supposed to say to Eddie?" He tickled her side causing her to squirm and laugh. "I give you, Eddie. Lub too." She said as she leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

I just chuckled at her and kissed her back on the cheek. I found Bella, Alice, Rose, and Margaret in the kitchen talking over cups of coffee and cooing at Sariah. Jasper was sitting at the kitchen table tapping on his phone, in his own little world.

I sat the girls down and they immediately took off towards the play room. "Hello, ladies." I told them as I went to kiss Margaret on the cheek. "Ma, you look as amazing as ever." I told the woman who had become like a second mother to me.

"Eddie!" Alice exclaimed from her seat but she didn't attack me because she was holding the newest addition to this odd family.

I just chuckled and made my way to her side. "Hello, Pixie Dust. How is your dad doing?" I asked her as I kissed her on the cheek.

"He's doing well, he gets his cast off next week." She explained. I nodded in understanding. She had been traveling back and forth between Houston and Venice, Italy for the past month trying to take care of her father and her businesses here.

"That's good, Ali. So are you back for good now or do you have to go back?" I asked her as I took Sariah from her arms.

"I'm home for good now; he finally got a live in nurse to help him until he's back up on his own two feet." She explained. Her dad had had a boating accident and broken his right leg and his left ankle so he was basically bedridden.

"That's great, Ali. I bet Jazz was ready for you to be home." I told her as I gazed at the baby in my arms.

I took the baby and settled down at the kitchen table beside Jazz and looked at what he was tapping away at on his phone. "Jazz, what are you doing? You are looking awfully serious there brother." I bumped his shoulder gently.

He just laughed and laid his phone down. "Nothing, really, just thinking about putting my degree to good use." He said lightly and tickled Sariah's cheek. "She really is beautiful, isn't she?"

I nodded but was worried about my brother. "What's going on, Jazz? Talk to me, Bro." I urged him quietly, not wanting to gain the attention of the women. Emmett was off changing diapers.

"I'm thinking of quitting the fire house, Edward." He said quietly, shocking the shit out of me because I had thought for sure he would be a lifelong fireman.

"Really? What brought this on Jazz?"

He shook his head and ran a hand through his chin length blonde curls. "I want to start a family and I don't want them to have to worry about me every day that I am at work. I want to put my accounting degree to use; I have a job offer at Shoult, Hyatt, and Prite." He said, further shocking me.

"Wow!" I said in quiet enthusiasm. "That's great, Jazz. I have been thinking about quitting myself or maybe just going to volunteer only." I confided in him.

I had an architecture degree and a business degree from the University of Houston, and wanted to focus on my business and maybe other business ventures.

"Hmm. How do you think Emmett will take it? When are you planning on quitting?" He asked quietly but we were interrupted when Emmett came back into the room with Lilly bouncing on his shoulder, Tori riding one boot and Maggie riding the other one, Skylar hanging from his neck and Annabelle holding his hand.

"When are we riding, folks?" He asked eagerly and all the girls cheered right along with him.

We all stood up and headed for the garage. I tugged Bella's hand and pulled her to a stop before we stepped out the back door. "Bella, our shed is more like a two story, top of the line garage. We all store and work on our classic cars here." I explained to her.

She grinned up at me. "I know, Rosie told me last week and even showed me some pictures when we had lunch."

I froze in shock. "What the hell is it with you people shocking me today?" I muttered under my breath but obviously not quiet enough.

"What's that supposed to mean, Edward?" Bella asked as we walked hand in hand down the path towards our garage.

I shook my head. "Not here, I will explain when we get home tonight." I told her as we walked in the garage and she stopped dead in her tracks at the wide array of vehicles stacked high to the ceiling.

We had those fancy shmancy lifters that took up minimal space. It was already a double sided garage with five bays on each side, which was doubled with the lifters. Jasper kept two of his cars at his condo which had secured underground parking, and Emmett kept three of their vehicles at their house in the city. Alice only kept her 1967 Chevrolet Camaro at her apartment and she drove it all the time.

"Wow, Edward! This is impressive. I may have paid better attention if we had a garage like this when my father and I worked on my truck." She told me as she looked at the vast array of fully restored vintage vehicles.

I just chuckled and ushered her towards the back of the garage. "Come on, I'll show you mine before we leave." I told her and began pointing out which vehicles were mine.

When I came to a candy apple red fully restored pick-up truck just like hers I stopped. "You have a truck just like mine!" She exclaimed and we all chuckled as we paid a visit to our various vehicles.

"Yeah, I finished this one last year actually. We will have to take them out together one of these days." I told her and turned her towards the car we were taking out for our drive today.

"Will we go to the beach that day too?" She asked as I led her to the 1961 Ford Thunderbird that I was driving today.

"Who told you? It had to be one of the girls. But was it the old girls or the young girls? They're both terrible at keeping secrets." I teased her as I plucked the keys off my key ring so I could move my 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air so I could get to my Thunderbird that sat above us.

"It was the little girls, Edward. Are we taking this one out today?" She asked me as I cranked the beautiful Bel Air.

"No." I told her and pointed above me and she whistled loudly. "Wanna raise the bay door so I can switch them?" I asked her as everybody else began cranking their vehicles and getting out the ones they intended to take out today.

She pressed the button and the garage door raised and I began the tedious process of switching the vehicles around.

BPOV

I was blown away at all of the beautiful vehicles that occupied the huge garage. Once everybody had their beautiful cars lined up in the driveway, we were dividing the children up amongst us. "I wanna go with Eddie!" Maggie said bouncing around Edward and me as we stood beside the Thunderbird.

"But I wanna go with B!" Annabelle complained as she stood beside me holding my hand.

I knelt down beside Annabelle. "How about we flip a coin and see who gets to ride with us up there and who gets to ride with us on the way back?" I asked her and Maggie as she skidded to a halt beside Edward.

Annabelle nodded and I dug a coin out of my pocket and began explaining the different sides of a coin to her. "Which side do you want, Anna?" I asked her and held the coin out to her.

She picked heads and Maggie picked tails. "Ready, girls?" I asked them and they both nodded as everybody else stood around us watching me with the girls.

I flipped the coin in the air and caught it in my hand and slapped it down on my arm, covering it with my hand. "Come on, B! We wanna see!" They both begged.

I slowly took my hand off the coin and saw that it had landed on heads. Annabelle cheered while Maggie held her hands up for Edward to pick her up. "I love you, Eddie." She whimpered and slowly walked her way to Alice's side, her second choice.

Jasper took Skylar. Emmett took Lilly, of course. Alice had Maggie. Edward and I had Annabelle. Rosalie had Tori. Gerald and Margaret were going to keep Sariah. We got all the girls buckled into their car seats and cranked our vehicles and were on our way.

Rose and Tori took the lead in her beautiful dark blue '57 Ford Fairlane. Emmett and Lilly trailed behind her in his '71 Pontiac GTO. Edward, Annabelle, and I were next in line, with Alice and Jasper taking the lead in their separate vehicles. Jasper in his '81 Chevrolet Corvette and Alice in her '64 Ford Falcon.

"Anna, how do you like school so far?" I asked her as we travelled south to the beach. We were taking the back roads and the scenery was beautiful as we travelled south. Rose had told me the other day that she went to school a couple days a week for a few hours to prepare her for Kindergarten.

Both Anna and Skylar had gotten to play hooky today for this road trip since most of them were done on the weekends or school holidays.

"I love it!" She said enthusiastically from her booster seat.

"Did you know that B is a teacher?" Edward asked her.

"Really? Can you be my teacher next year?"

I laughed. "I teach the big kids that are almost finished with school." I explained to her.

"That sucks." She said as she stared out the window. After a few minutes she spoke up again. "Did you know that Trixy is about to have her babies?" She asked eagerly.

I didn't even know who Trixy was, much less that she was about to have babies. Edward explained. "Trixy is Anna's horse. She is a beautiful white and black Appaloosa horse that she got when she was just a few weeks old."

"Are you excited about the babies coming?" I asked her once Edward had explained.

She nodded eagerly. "One is Baby Sariah's and the other one can be yours." She said so matter of factly.

I looked at Edward shocked that she would even think about giving me a horse.

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**Please Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay folks, I got a lot of positive reviews over the past few days and I just wanted to let each and every one of you know that I greatly appreciate each and every one of them.**

**Disclaimer: SM owns the original Twilight, I just play with the characters a little bit.**

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Chapter 8

Saturday January 28, 2012

EPOV

The trip to the beach was amazing even though we couldn't really stand to stay out of the cars for very long due to the chilly wind coming off the bay. Bella had a blast chatting with everybody over the old fashioned CB radio's that were in each car and I just sat back and enjoyed the purr of my amazing car.

But, reality set in quick the next morning because I had to head into the fire station with worry for Bella sitting in the back of my mind. Jasper and I were currently sitting outside on the roof chilling out and calming down from the call we had just came back from. It was 3 a.m. and we had only been back at the station about half an hour from one of the worst calls I had seen in a really long time. It was a motor vehicle accident out on I10 that left four people dead and one in stable condition at the hospital.

The worst part about it all was that it could have been avoided if the young teenage girl driving the one car had just called a cab instead of getting behind the wheel intoxicated beyond belief. She had been racing her friends and in her inebriated state had lost control of her sports car and crossed the median and hit an SUV that was carrying a family of four. By the amount of clothing and suitcases strolled out along the interstate, they were either traveling for home or from home. The entire family had died instantly and the bodies were nearly unrecognizable, and the young girl that had caused the wreck was resting in the hospital because she had broken a leg and several ribs. It was unbelievable.

"How am I supposed to raise a family with my girl, Edward, when I see shit like that all the time? How can I bring kids into this world when I see babies brutally murdered like that?" Jasper asked as he ran his hands through his curls.

I shook my head and tugged on my own locks. "I don't know, Jazz, I just don't know."

We sat there in silence and just looked at the stars until we heard the door open behind us. "Hey guys, what are y'all doin' sittin up here all alone?" Em asked as he sat down beside me in one of the other chairs.

"Just rehashing the accident." I told him honestly.

He nodded and shook his head. "Yeah, it makes me thankful that all of my girls are safely tucked into bed at home." He said with a sigh.

Jazz shocked me by his next statement. "Em, I'm quitting the station."

Emmett didn't seem startled or upset about this and it rather surprised me. "I know, Bro. I think we have all put our time in." He said quietly.

"What do you mean by that? Emmett McCarty, are you planning on quitting too? How did you know?" Jasper fired at him as he sat up and put his elbows on his knees and faced Emmett.

"You are my brother and I know you better than anybody. And I mean that I have considered going to volunteer only." He said as he relaxed in his seat like this was no big revelation.

We sat there in silence for the longest time letting this news settle in until I broke the silence. "So, when are we telling the chief that we're all turning in our badges?" I asked them.

They both looked at me and nodded. "Soon. Maybe before the new schedule comes out." Jasper said wistfully.

I nodded in agreement as did Emmett. "Sounds like a plan." We all agreed knowing that the new schedule came out on the 8th of February, just ten days away.

"Em, what are you planning on doing when you turn your badge in?" Jasper asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe open a garage with my Rosie."

Before we could say anything more, the alarm sounded signaling the need for us at an apartment fire. We all groaned and jumped to our feet heading downstairs.

It was almost nine o'clock before I dragged my tired self through Bella's doors, thanking God that she had thought to give me a key after my first shift after we had started dating. It took us FOREVER to get the fire under control so the other team could take over. I hadn't even showered yet which I normally did before I came home to my amazing smelling girlfriend.

I unlocked her front door and slowly opened it, not knowing if she was awake yet or still asleep. I didn't hear anything or smell anything as I closed the door softly behind me, so I assumed she was still asleep. I slowly crept up the stairs and made my way down the hall to her room and smiled when I saw her curled around 'my' pillow and sleeping in my shirt.

I quickly grabbed my boxer briefs from the dresser and made my way to the shower to wash some of the smut and grime off me from my long ass night. Normally we got to sleep a little bit while on shift but I think we had caught maybe six hours total, and they were split up into little more than quick naps.

I stripped off my clothes quickly and tossed them in the hamper that she had reserved for my station clothes and stepped under the warm spray of the shower. I placed my hands flat against the cold tile wall and just let the water pour down over my tense shoulders and back.

I smiled when I felt smooth slim arms wrap around my waist. "Good morning, Baby." I told her quietly.

"Good morning indeed, Barman. Rough night?" She asked, placing a gentle kiss between my shoulders.

I heard the distinct sound of my body wash cap being opened.

I nodded. "You have no idea, Bella." I sighed as she began running the washcloth on my back and shoulders.

"How about I try to make it end on a happy note?" She said as she wrapped her soapy hands back around my waist and ran the washcloth over my chest and abs.

"Mmmm… and just how do you plan on doing that, Baby?" I asked her as I turned around in her arms and tugged her naked body flush against mine and under the shower spray with me.

I kissed her passionately as the water poured over our heads and slithered down our bodies. When breathing became a necessity we broke the bond between our lips and smiled at one another. "I'm almost certain you could, Baby." I told her quietly.

I wanted her beyond all belief but what I wanted more was to cuddle with her in bed before I passed out for the day.

She smiled at me and pecked me on the lips before stepping back and grabbing my shampoo. "How about we get you washed up and we will go cuddle in bed for a little while." She suggested as she squirted shampoo in her hand.

I smiled because she knew me so well in such a short amount of time. "Sounds perfect, Baby, absolutely perfect." I told her quietly smiling tiredly at her.

"Squat down, Barman." She told me so she could reach the top of my head. I chuckled and tipped my head down to her level.

BPOV

I woke up when Edward started the shower and smiled because once again he was home safe. I honestly didn't know how I was going to handle a lifetime of worrying about his safety every time he went to work. But, if he loved what he did then I would love him and be supportive in the best way I knew how.

I climbed from bed and joined him in the shower. After we were both squeaky clean, we got out and dried each other off before climbing into my bed together. Instead of me snuggling into him, I propped up against the pillows and headboard and let him snuggle into me since I would be getting up out of bed in a little bit.

"Comfy?" I asked him after he had rooted around a little bit to get more comfortable.

"Yes, very." He said quietly, it was obvious he was exhausted.

"Wanna talk about it?" I asked just as quietly.

He shook his head. "I don't wanna taint you with what we saw last night, just know that it was life altering and shocking all at the same time."

"What is that supposed to mean? Life altering?" I asked quietly, confused.

I felt him take a deep breath. "We are all thinking about turning our shields in together."

Wow! I didn't see that one coming at all. I thought he loved the fire department and what it represented. "Why? I thought you loved it?" I questioned.

"I did. Do. I just don't like the stress that it puts on you and on me. I want to use my college degrees and do something productive. I think I have put in enough time at the station and I'm not quitting completely." He explained softly.

I smiled because I had thought I had been keeping my worry and stress level pretty under control when he was around, but I guess I was wrong. "I will support you in whatever you choose to do. By the way, what are your degrees? As in more than one?"

He chuckled. "Yes, as in more than one. I have two bachelor degrees. One in business which I am already putting to use and the other is in architecture."

I laughed and scratched my nails up and down his back gently, calming him down further. "We can talk about this later, Babe, why don't you get some sleep. I will wake you in a few hours, okay?"

He nodded but didn't respond back. I smiled and muttered a soft. "I love you, Edward." Before leaning back and closing my own eyes.

I smiled when I heard his even softer "Love you, too baby," before sleep took over completely.

I didn't sleep long, seeing as how I had slept most of the night. I eased out from Edward's weight and stood there looking at him sleeping peacefully. I tiptoed out of the room and down the stairs to grade some papers until Edward woke up.

I grabbed the rest of the tests from Wednesday's, so I could get them graded and recorded so I could hand them back on Monday. I smiled when I saw quiet Shawn's test, he was one of my best students but also one of the shyest. I got through his paper rather quickly and marked a big A on the front page along with a 'Good Job, Shawn! Keep up the good work!" before moving on to the next one which caused me to frown and groan.

It was Jane's paper. I put it to the bottom of my stack and decided to grade it last and continued grading the final few papers. Most of my student's did fabulous but I could tell that some of them struggled with their explanations and a few of them used quotes from the book when I wanted their own words, not quotes. Finally, I was left with only Jane's paper.

I groaned as I saw her big loopy handwriting that she purposely wrote big so it would take up more space and try to get by with the excuse that she ran out of room. I smiled because I had been there done that and now attached a blank sheet of paper to the back of every page of the test and wrote in big bold letters to use it if they ran out of room.

I breathed a sigh of relief when she had actually answered the first question half right. I gave her as many partial points as I could but she still didn't get full credit. After I finished grading her paper and placed a big red "D" on the front page of her test and a 'Great effort, Jane. Keep up the good work!' I leaned my head back against the couch and groaned.

"Everything okay, baby?" Edward croaked from behind me in a sleep roughened voice.

I smiled when I looked at him upside down. His hair was sticking up in a million different directions, there were sleep marks across his chest, and he was rubbing the sleepies out of his eyes like a little kid as he stood there in just his boxers and a pair of socks.

I chuckled. "Yeah, just frustrated with some of my student's test grades." I told him and held out a hand for him to join me on the couch.

"Wanna go out tonight to vent some frustrations? I know this amazing club downtown that offers a great variety of music and fabulous kisses from a certain green eyed bartender." He said as he joined me on the couch and propping his feet on my coffee table and draping my legs over the top of his.

"You wanna go clubbing with me?" I teased him.

He nodded. "It could be fun. Maybe the whole gang can go, even Angela and Bree. What do you think?" He suggested.

I smiled. "Sounds like a fabulous idea, Barman. Lemme text the girls and you text Em and Jazz."

EPOV

When I had suggested going clubbing to Bella earlier I had had no idea that I would spend most of the afternoon keeping myself and the other guys entertained while the girls holed up in Bella's bedroom and bathroom getting ready. They had already been up there for three hours and it was almost time to go as it was hedging on to seven o'clock.

"I forgot how long women took to get ready." I complained as I stood up and headed towards Bella's kitchen to grab another Dr. Pepper.

Jasper and Emmett just chuckled. Thank God Angela and Bree already had plans or God only knows how long they would be up there. "Get used to it, Bro." Emmett said over his shoulder as he focused on the movie on the television.

I shook my head and headed back into the living room to flop back down in my chair when a sound on the stairs caught my attention. They were finally finished, I prayed silently.

Alice came down in a short dark blue jean skirt and some sort of sparkly lime green shirt with matching lime green heels. "Lookin' sharp, Ali." I told her as she passed by me and made her way to a speechless Jasper. They were perfect for each other, her over exuberance leveled out his quietness.

I looked up the stairs anxiously as Emmett came to stand beside me and clapped me on the shoulder. "Anxious, Edward?"

I nodded and smiled at him before looking back at the stairs. I groaned when I saw that it was Rosalie, but smiled at her because even in all of her self-assured attitude she was self-conscious of the baby weight that she still carried around. I whistled at her as Emmett was speechless, but grinning like an idiot at her appearance. She wore a blood red dress that ended a few inches above the knee and was flowy around her hips, not hugging her form at all. She really was beautiful, but she wasn't the one I wanted to see.

"You look beautiful Rosie. You really do." I told her as she walked into Emmett's arms and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks Buddy, you just wait until you see your girl. She looks amazing."

I nodded and walked around so that I stood directly in front of the stairs. I would see her immediately as she walked down the stairs but as I stood there, nothing was happening. I turned to Rose and Alice for reassurance. "Is she okay?" I asked them quietly.

They both groaned. "She is worried her outfit is inappropriate and a bit over the top even though she looks amazing." Alice said like it was no big deal.

"If she didn't feel comfortable wearing it, she shouldn't wear it." I told them as I marched up the stairs after my girl.

I walked up the stairs shaking my head at my persistent friends currently downstairs probably doing things that would shame most people. I found Bella pacing the length of her bedroom floor wringing her hands together nervously.

"Baby, are you okay?" I asked her quietly as I stood in the doorway.

She stopped suddenly and turned to face me with worry written all over her face. "Edward…" she whispered quietly.

I went to her side and wrapped my arms around her waist which was bared by the shirt she had on. "You look amazing, Bella." I told her and smiled softly at her.

"Really? It's not too much?" She asked quietly as she looked up at me from under darkened eyes and sparkly eye shadow.

I shook my head, pecked her on her shiny lips and stepped back motioning her to turn around. She smiled and did a small circle with her arms held out to show off the full effect of the shirt. The shirt was dark purple and contrasted nicely with her pale skin and dark hair. The shirt had ginormous sleeves on it that hung to her mid thighs but there wasn't much fabric besides that. It tied in the back and each half covered each breast before wrapping under her arms to meet in the back. One tug on that tie and she would be exposed for the entire world to see. Her entire torso and upper chest was bared and sparkling with glitter. She wore skin tight dark blue jeans with holes ripped up and down each leg. The jeans were so tight that they almost looked painted on. She had the jeans tucked into black leather boots that hugged her calves. Her hair was hanging down her back in soft curls.

"You really look amazing, baby, but if you are not comfortable going out in this then just change." I told her quietly.

She shook her head and smiled, pecking me on the lips again. "I think I'll keep it on, I was just nervous of what you would think." She said as she started to head out of the bedroom.

I chuckled and followed her out the room and down the stairs.

BPOV

It was silly to overreact like that but this would be the first time we had ever really gone out in a group like this and I didn't want to embarrass him. I knew that these knee jerk stupid reactions were from my time with Jake as he had always criticized everything I ever done.

Once Edward walked in the room, I was blown away by how sexy he looked. He wore a black button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, distressed blue jeans and his cowboy boots. His hair was artfully sticking up all over his head and his green eyes sparkled.

When we walked into the club from the rear employee entrance, Edward immediately wrapped his arm around my waist, tugging me to his side. "I don't wanna lose you in this crowd." He whispered against my neck.

I smiled and nodded, sinking into his side as he led the way to a table in the back that had a sheet of paper with 'RESERVED FOR THE BOSSMAN AND HIS FRIENDS. SIT HERE AND SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!' wrote on it. We all laughed at the note and Edward looked towards the bar at Seth and Paul who laughed as Edward held up the sheet of paper.

We all slid into the booth with Jasper and Alice between me, Edward, Emmett and Rose. "Who wants something to drink?" Edward asked as he stood up to go to the bar.

We all placed our orders and Edward left, headed towards the bar. Em and Rose headed for the dance floor as did Alice and Jasper. I sat there by myself for a few minutes before making my way to the bar to help Edward with all our drinks.

I frowned when I saw some skanky whore leaning over the bar gripping the front of Edward's shirt. As I got closer I heard what she was saying to him. "Come on Eddie, I ordered a Southern Kiss the old fashioned way. I haven't had one in forever."

He shook his head. "I can't do that Katie, I have a girlfriend now. You will have to take it the new way now. Drink and a kiss on the cheek." He told her again as he attempted to remove her claws from his shirt.

"Come on Eddie, you don't do relationships. Only fuck jobs." She told him as she tightened her grip on his shirt. "I've missed you, Eddie. I need it really bad."

I shook my head and ducked under the edge of the bar instead of raising it up to get behind the bar. I walked over to where Edward and the girl still stood and wrapped my arm around Edward's waist and one hand gripped the other woman's wrist tightly. "He does do relationships now. WITH ME." I told her as I removed her hand from Edward's shirt in her state of shock.

She gasped and had the audacity to look shocked. "And as far as Southern Kisses go, only I can get them the old fashioned way, ain't that right, Barman?" I asked as I looked up at Edward's smiling face.

He nodded and locked his lips with mine, sealing away the rest of the noise, club, and people. When we broke apart there was a small applause from the surrounding patrons and shouts of 'Go Edward!' and 'Get a room!' and I buried my head in Edward's chest in embarrassment.

"No need to get embarrassed, Baby. I love your possessive side by the way." He said as he placed a gentle innocent kiss against my now smooth lips.

I chuckled and helped him finish fixing our drinks for our friends.

After we delivered the drinks to the table, we hit the dance floor and joined our friends as they grinded on their significant others.

When Pussycat Dolls "Don't cha" came on Alice and Rose grabbed my hands and pulled me over to dance with them, leaving the boys just standing there gawking as we grinded against each other.

_OK (ahh)_

_Yeah (ahh)_

_Oh, we about to get it just a lil hot and sweaty in this mu'fucka (oh, baby)_

_Ladies let's go (uhh)_

_Soldiers let's go (dolls)_

_Let me talk to y'all and just you know_

_Give you a little situation... listen (fellas)_

Rose was behind me and Alice was in front of me and pushed her ass back against me as she bent forward and ran her hands from her ankles slowly up her legs.

_Pussycat Dolls_

_Ya see this shit get hot_

_Everytime I come through when I step up in the spot (are you ready)_

_Make the place sizzle like a summertime cookout_

_Prowl for the best chick_

_Yes I'm on the lookout (let's dance)_

_Slow banging shorty like a belly dancer with it_

_Smell good, pretty skin, so gangsta with it (oh, baby)_

_No tricks only diamonds under my sleeve_

_Gimme the number_

_But make sure you call before you leave_

Rose grabbed my hands and put them behind her neck and ran a hand down my arm and further down the middle of my chest and finally settled against my stomach. It tickled more than anything and it took everything I had in me not to bust out laughing.

_I know you like me (I know you like me)_

_I know you do (I know you do)_

_That's why whenever I come around_

_She's all over you (she's all over you)_

_I know you want it (I know you want it)_

_It's easy to see (it's easy to see)_

_And in the back of your mind_

_I know you should be on with me (babe)_

Rose turned and put her back flush against mine and Alice turned to face me and we smiled at one another as Rose and I leaned against each other and started slinking down together.

_Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?_

_Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?_

_Don't cha_

_Don't cha_

_Don't cha wish your girlfriend was raw like me?_

_Don't cha wish your girlfriend was fun like me?_

_Don't cha_

_Don't cha_

I reached out and wrapped my hands around Alice's dainty smooth ankles and ran my hands along her legs and as Rose and I stood back up, I even slid my hands underneath her skirt a little bit.

_Fight the feeling (fight the feeling)_

_Leave it alone (leave it alone)_

_'Cause if it ain't love_

_It just ain't enough to leave my happy home (my happy home)_

_Let's keep it friendly (let's keep it friendly)_

_You have to play fair (you have to play fair)_

_See I don't care_

_But I know she ain't gonna wanna share_

When we were all standing tall again, I turned my back to Alice and faced Rose's back and wrapped my arms around her waist and ran my hands up and down her sides and slid back down until I was squatted between the two of them.

_Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?_

_Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?_

_Don't cha?_

_Don't cha?_

_Don't cha wish your girlfriend was raw like me?_

_Don't cha wish your girlfriend was fun like me?_

_Don't cha?_

_Don't cha?_

I tugged both of them so that I was facing each of them and gave them each a hand and started leaning back depending on them to hold me up. I smiled at the guys as I looked at them from upside down, my hair touching the ground. I blew a kiss at Edward before standing back up.

_OK, I see how it's goin' down (ahh, don't cha)_

_Seems like shorty wanna little menage pop off or something (let's go)_

_Well let me get straight to it_

_Every broad wan watch a nigga when I come through it_

_It's the god almighty, looking all brand new_

_If shorty wanna jump in my ass then vanquish_

_Looking at me all like she really wanna do it_

_Tryna put it on me till my balls black an blueish_

_Ya wanna play wit ah playa girl then play on_

_Strip out the Chanel_

_And leave the lingerie on_

_Watch me and I'mma watch you at the same time_

_Looking at ya wan break my back_

_You're the very reason why I keep a pack ah the Magnum_

_An wit the wagon hit chu in the back of tha magnum_

_For the record, don't think it was something you did_

_Shorty all on me cause it's hard to resist the kid_

_I got a idea that's dope for y'all_

_As y'all could get so I could hit the both of y'all_

We grinded against each other, with my arms over each of them and we just grinding our hips against each other as the song was winding down.

_I know she loves you (I know she loves you)_

_I understand (I understand)_

_I'd probably be just as crazy about you_

_If you were my own man_

_Maybe next lifetime (maybe next lifetime)_

_Possibly (possibly)_

_Until then old friend_

_Your secret is safe with me_

_Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?_

_Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?_

_Don't cha?_

_Don't cha?_

_Don't cha wish your girlfriend was raw like me?_

_Don't cha wish your girlfriend was fun like me?_

_Don't cha?_

_Don't cha?_

We all exhaled deeply as the song was finally over. Rose and Alice both placed kisses on my cheeks and we earned a round of applause from the surrounding crowd.

We finished our slutty dancing just as the song ended and each of our significant others grabbed our hands and we spread out over the club to enjoy our couple time. I saw Edward glance at the bar and grimace when he seen how crowded it was, but continued to dance with me. I finally took matters into my own hands and stepped away from him tugging his hand in the direction of the bar.

When we got to the bar door trap, I turned to face him. "This is your pride and joy and I understand that. Go help. I will sit right here and watch." I told him before leaning forward and kissing his lips lightly.

He just shook his head and lifted the bar trap and stepped behind the bar.

EPOV

"You guys need some help?" I asked Seth and Paul who were doing everything in their power to keep up with the busy crowd. The both shot smiles my way and nodded eagerly. I stood between the two of them and started a new line and started filling orders.

I was in my rhythm when I felt a hand slap against my shoulder. "Want some more help, Bro?" Em and Jazz asked together as they stood behind me with shit eating grins on their faces.

I chuckled because they had ulterior motives for offering to help me. They always got laid afterwards because their women thought they looked sexy tossing bottles of liquor up in the air and catching it without spilling a drop. Well that was Jazz's reason. Em's was more like Rose felt sorry for his lack of ability to do more than pour simple drinks.

I nodded and the five of us spaced out behind the bar and quickly got the crowd under control as our ladies sat huddled together by the trap door giggling at Emmett's attempts of flare.

"Come on, Em, you can do better than that. You paint little girls fingernails for fun and do it perfect so you should be able to flip a liquor bottle up and catch it easily." I teased him as he attempted to practice with a plastic bottle much to the amusement of my patrons.

"Yeah yeah, Eddie. This shit ain't as easy as it looks." He chuckled as he attempted one more time.

We all laughed at him as the bottle clattered against the floor in another epic fail. "Hey Em, this is how it's done Buddy." Jazz said as he flipped two bottles in the air and spun around on his feet and caught both bottles behind his back and brought them to the shot glasses effortlessly all with a smile on his face.

Emmett just flipped him off and stalked to Rosie's side and laid his head on her shoulder and she just patted his head sympathetically. I wouldn't be surprised if in about a month they weren't pregnant again by the look on both of their faces. They had both wanted a large family when they first started and were still trying for a boy. Em said that once he got a boy out of her then he was done with having kids, but I didn't believe him a single bit.

I clapped Jazz on the shoulder and made my way to Bella's side and wrapped my arms around her from behind. "Have you had enough for tonight?" I whispered against her ear placing a gentle kiss there.

She nodded as she leaned back against me.

I looked to both couples as they were cuddled against each other also. "You guys stayin or goin?" I asked them.

Jazz spoke up. "We're goin. I'll see you two idiots bright and early in the morning at the station." He said as he tugged Alice up and towards the back entrance. She waved lightly over her shoulder and blew kisses to the girls. We all chuckled at her exuberance.

"Yeah, they're getting laid tonight. Lucky bastard." Emmett groaned against Rosie's neck.

She patted his head. "We're gonna head home. The girls are with George and Margaret until tomorrow." Rose said quickly as she shrugged off Emmett's head and stood up.

He smiled a shit eating grin and followed her without a word to either Bella or me.

"Let's go upstairs, Baby." I whispered right against Bella's ear.

She nodded and stood up and led me out the back door to the parking lot.

We walked hand in hand to the stairs leading up to my condo before I let her go ahead of me so I could have an amazing view of her ass as she climbed the stairs.

I groaned about halfway up them. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at me curiously. "What's wrong, Barman?"

I smiled at her. "Nothing is wrong, baby, just got a particular ache that needs your attention." I told her as I glanced back down at her ass.

She smiled and wiggled it a little bit causing me to growl and launch myself at her. She squealed and ran up the stairs.

I chased her all the way up to my door where she stood with her arms crossed across her chest because the door was locked. She had a key but I was almost betting that she had left it and the rest of her keys back at her house because she didn't have anywhere to put them.

"What's wrong, love? Forget your key?" I asked her as I stalked her into the door.

She smiled and nodded. "Mmmhmmm. Now that you caught me what are you gonna do with me?" She asked huskily.

* * *

**I hope this lived up to the previous chapters. Please leave me a little review to let me know what you thought about it.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the late update, I know it's still Wednesday but it is almost 8 at night my time. I have been suffering from a migraine all day today and no amount of medication seems to be helping it any.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyers owns Twilight, not I.**

**I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 9

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

EPOV

It was bittersweet walking into the fire house seeing as this is the last time I will be walking in here as a full time fire fighter for the Houston Fire Department. Em, Jazz, and I had put in our notice on the first day of February and the chief was very understanding and asked us to finish out the next 2 sets of shifts so we could help acquaint the new guys with the rest of the team. We willingly agreed and were now getting ready to start our final shift.

I was waiting outside for Em and Jazz because we decided that we would walk into this final shift together and support each other as we ended one major part of all our lives and embark on new paths.

I dropped my duffel bag that I had brought to gather all my bullshit that had accumulated over the years in my locker. I leaned back against the brick wall of the fire station and put one booted foot against the wall and pulled out my phone to text Bella.

Happy Valentine's Day, Love. Again. –Edward

Thanks. AGAIN! LOL. –Bella

I chuckled because we had celebrated Valentine's Day together yesterday and last night but little did she know she had a day full of surprises coming her way today.

I hope you have a great day at school today! Try to not kill Jane or her parents at the meeting. Gotta go, Baby. I love you, Isabella. You are my entire world. -Edward.

I pocketed my phone after I sent the message because I saw Jazz and Em pull into the parking lot. They both walked up to me, each with duffel bags hanging from their shoulders. "Ready to finish this day out, Bro?" Em asked when he was within shouting distance.

I nodded and pushed off the wall grabbing my bag so we could walk in together. "Jazz, how is the new job treating you?" I asked him as we climbed the stairs to the living quarters above.

He groaned and dragged his body along behind us. He had started working at the new firm last week on his days off. "I love it, but I will love it even more when I don't have to juggle both jobs." He said as we pushed open the doors.

I couldn't respond because the rest of our team was standing around hootin and hollerin and throwin confetti at us. I guess we were having a going away party before we left. They all slapped us on the shoulders as we walked back towards the sleeping quarters to drop off our bags. When we returned to the front room our station, the chief and truck chief were standing there waiting on us. "What's up Chief and Chief?" I asked them.

"We wanted to give you a going away present from the entire team." Station Chief Anderson said as he looked at the three of us standing there.

"Well, what is it?" the ever impatient Emmett asked.

Truck Chief Cooper answered him with a slight chuckle. "We as a whole would like to let you gentlemen go a day early so that you can spend this romantic day with your ladies instead of with a whole shit load of smelly sweaty men." He said and I had to do a double take to think I had heard him right.

"You heard right, Edward. Get your shit and get out of my station." Cooper said with a shove on my shoulder.

It didn't take us long at all to get our shit and get out of there and back to our women. I stopped mid packing to send Bella a quick text.

After your meeting, can you get a mysterious stomach ache or migraine? –Edward

She texted back immediately.

Why would I do that? Just to sit around my house all day while you are at the station. Bella

Because Baby, I will be waiting in your bed. Naked. And Ready. We got let go early. –Edward

DEAL, Barman. C u soon! –Bella

I chuckled and hurriedly packed the rest of my shit and met up with the guys in the front room to say my round of goodbyes before leaving.

BPOV

I was dreading today for several reasons. The first being that it was mine and Edward's first Valentine's day together and he had to work at the fire station all day. Even though we had an amazing night last night, I was still kind of disappointed that we weren't spending the actual day together. I felt a wonderful ache between my legs when we had crawled from the bed this morning. We had spent the night making love and doing it again this morning as the sun came up all around us.

The second reason being that Jane Volturi is claiming that I am treating her unfairly in my classroom and her parents had requested a meeting with me and the Headmaster. That little ungrateful witch made me hate my job sometimes. I was so tempted to just walk out of that place some days but I stayed because I really did love teaching and she would be out of my hair at the end of the year. I just had three months or so left.

I screamed in joy when Edward had texted me that they had been let off early and that he wanted me to play hooky with him. Angela and Bree came running into my room worried that something was wrong with me.

"Bella, are you okay?" Angela asked as she skidded to a halt in front of my desk.

Bree didn't stop there, she ran around behind my desk and started running her hands over my body, checking for signs of injury. "Babe, are you okay?" She asked from behind me.

I chuckled at both of them. "Oh I'm a lot better now but I will be fantastic when I get a sudden migraine and go home to my sexy as sin Barman." I told them quietly.

Angela busted out laughing and Bree groaned and removed her hands from me. "When are you gonna dump that sexy man and give me a shot?" She asked as she plopped her ass on top of my desk.

I just shook my head and patted her on the knee. "When the sun starts rotating the other way." I told her.

"Aren't they supposed to work today?" Angela asked as she wrapped her arms around me in a gentle hug.

I nodded. "They were supposed to but I guess they aren't and Edward asked me to meet him at home ASAP." I explained to her just as the first warning bell signaled.

They scurried back to their classrooms with a smile and a wave shot my way as some early stragglers entered my classroom.

Once the final bell rang and Jane still wasn't here, I became a little worried. Alec was here though, so maybe that was a good sign. "Alec, where is Jane?" I asked him once everybody had their stuff settled on their desks.

"She is coming in with mom and dad in a little bit. I just wanted to let you know that I am on your side and that she deserves whatever punishment is coming her way. I think you are a great teacher, Ms. B." He said with a shy smile sent my way.

"Thank you for the support Alec, but I can handle your sister and your parents Buddy." I told him as I faced the rest of the students. "Who read the pages required for today's lecture?" I asked them and smiled at the show of hands.

I became engrossed in the lecture and was shocked when the TA knocked on my door to relieve me so I could go to the meeting with Jane and her parents. "Guys, please finish reading the chapter and discuss it with your group. I expect a mini report from each group on your thoughts tomorrow. I will see you then." I told them as I made my way to the door to let the TA in.

I approached Jessica and gave her the instructions of what the students were supposed to be doing before making my way down the hall to the headmaster's office.

I smoothed down my red skirt that I had worn today in both appreciation of the holiday and because it was a confidence boosting outfit all while being teacher appropriate. It made my ass look amazing though. I had paired it with a red/white flowery top and a black tank top underneath. And the heels that Alice had deemed as perfect only helped to enhance my ass in this skirt.

I strolled into Headmaster Clark's office with my head held high and my folder of all of Jane's work as well as Alec's work to show proof that even though the tests/worksheets were different, they were the same questions just in a different order.

By the time the meeting was over with, I didn't have to feign having a headache because the levels that Jane screeched was headache inducing.

I begged off the rest of the day and the headmaster let me leave without question after having listened to Jane screech and scream for almost 2 hours about the unfairness of everything under the moon. I popped some pain killers on my way out of the school so the slight pounding in my head would go away hopefully before I got home.

I smiled when I pulled into my driveway and saw Edward's Volvo sitting there because I knew that he was just inside those walls waiting on me. My headache was no more.

I grabbed my bag and headed inside so that we could spend the remainder of Valentine's Day together, hopefully in each other's arms. I eased the door open hoping to surprise Edward. When I didn't hear the TV going or any sounds at all coming from inside my house I opened the door even further in curiosity and a slight tinge of worry.

I quietly shut the door and kicked off my heels before peaking into the living room and not seeing anything, I slowly started to climb the stairs heading towards my bedroom.

When I was about halfway up the stairs I heard Edward's light snores coming from down the hallway. I smiled slightly because last night had obviously worn him out, too and he had probably fallen asleep waiting on me to get through with my meeting. I tiptoed into the room and smiled at what I saw. My beautiful boyfriend was lying on my bed covered by my throw blanket that I keep on the foot of the bed. His hands were behind his head and a single perfect red rose was lying in the middle of his chest.

I smiled as a wicked idea popped into my head. I slowly and quietly tugged the blanket off of him and groaned when I saw that he was naked as the day he was born, but that would work in my favor. When the blanket was completely off of him I tossed it to the ground and climbed on the bed slowly so as not to wake him up.

I settled in between his legs leaning forward to place a soft kiss to his hardened member and smirked when it jerked and he further spread his legs, giving me more room to work. I wrapped his member in my hand and leaned down to take his head into my mouth sucking gently.

EPOV

Once I had gotten to Bella's house, I realized just how tired I was from the night before. I fought off sleep as I stripped off my clothes and tugged the throw blanket up over me but it eventually won out and I succumbed to sleep.

I was having the most amazing dream ever. It almost seemed like it was and I moaned at the sensations wracking through my body. "Oh god." I groaned aloud and moved my hand down to rearrange my stiff cock that was close to exploding from a dream.

I jerked my eyes open when my hand encountered a head full of hair. I looked down and saw the most magnificent sight ever. Bella. With my cock in her mouth.

I groaned as she winked at me but never broke her rhythm of suction and humming. I threaded my fingers through her hair and helped her movements like she liked me to do. I held her head and pumped into her mouth a few times before pulling her off. "God, I love you woman." I told her as I hauled her up my body.

She giggled as she straddled my hips and her sinful red skirt bunched around her hips. "I love you too, Barman." She said as she rolled her hips over my cock coating him in her juices.

I groaned and clamped my hands on her hips. "Baby, I'm gonna explode if you don't slow down." I warned her.

She grinned evilly. "That was kind of the point. You weren't supposed to wake up until you were cumming." She told me saucily as she rolled her hips again.

I quickly flipped her over so that I was now in control. "I loved waking up to see you enjoying yourself so much, but I like for us to come together." I told her seriously as I latched my mouth to hers causing her to groan.

I pressed my hardness into hers. When I broke for air, I raised up on my knees. "Isabella, where are your panties?" I asked her as I ran my hands up her thighs to her promise land.

"I took them off before I began pleasuring you, Barman. We were going to cum together."

I shook my head and groaned at my stupidity for interrupting her. "I'm sorry, Baby." I told her as I leaned ran my hands up under her shirts and helped her tug them off.

"Oh, you are going to make it up to me, aren't you?"

I nodded and began doing just that.

Monday, March 5, 2012

"This order is seven cases short, Raul." I told my liquor supplier as we recounted the cases that he had just hauled into the storeroom.

"I don't know how this happened, Edward. I told that idiot James to count them three times before we left." Raul explained as he wrote on his clipboard.

"Why didn't you count them yourself?" I asked him, irritated at this new turn of events. Raul had been my delivery man since I had first opened these doors and we had never had any trouble before today.

"I was on the phone with my wife; she is at the hospital with our daughter." He explained softly with a tear in his eye.

"I'm sorry, Raul, how are they doing?" I asked him knowing that it had to be tough on him. His daughter was only 15 and she had suffered such a traumatic event in her short life. Our fire station had been called to the scene and it had broken my heart when I saw that it was Raul's family that we were dealing with.

Some idiot had broken into their home, beat Raul and his wife into unconsciousness, raped and beat up Clarissa, then set the house on fire with them all still inside. Luckily their neighbors had seen the idiot running out of the house and immediately called 911. That wasn't the worst of it.

Clarissa found out a few weeks later after the accident that she was pregnant and their family was Catholic and didn't believe in abortion so she was carrying the Baby.

"They are doing okay; Clarissa went into labor early this morning, so my Kathy is keeping me updated hourly so I can be there in time for the birth of our grandchild." He said with the hint of a sad smile.

I clapped him on the shoulder. "Congratulations to all of you. Please just fix this mix up. I need those cases before the weekend, okay?" I told him, steering the conversation back to business.

He nodded. "I will get it all straightened out, Edward, but I won't be delivering to you for the next few weeks." He told me as he handed me the clipboard to sign.

I furrowed my eye brows together in confusion and irritation. "Why not?" I asked him as I looked over the corrections he made on the order form.

"Going to take a few weeks off to help with Clarissa and the Baby." He explained.

I nodded in understanding. "So who is taking over the route until you get back?"

"James is taking it over temporarily starting tomorrow." He said and I groaned because if this delivery was any indication of his capabilities I was not going to be a happy and satisfied customer at all.

"Okay, please just make sure that he understands the importance of the correctness of my orders, okay Raul?"

He nodded and made his way out with clipboard in hand.

I began moving the cases to their designated spots on the shelves in the storeroom when there was a knock on the outside door. "Yo, Boss, you in here?" Seth called as he pushed open the door.

"Why do you ask that every Monday, when you know I am in here doing inventory, Seth?" I asked him in irritation.

He shrugged his shoulders and came on in the door. "Want some help?" He asked as he stood there watching me lift the heavy cases and put them on their appropriate shelves.

"I damned well don't want you just standing around doing nothing." I snapped and almost immediately regretted the tone I had taken with him.

Ever since I had quit the fire station, I had become extremely irritated around my staff and I needed to fix that because it wasn't their fault that I had nothing to occupy my time with. "I'm sorry, Seth. Let's leave this for a bit and go have a chat." I told him, clapping him on the shoulder to convey my apology.

He nodded. "Everything okay, Edward?" He asked as we sat on two stools at the bar.

I groaned and laid my head on the bar. "I don't know, Seth. I just don't know anymore." I mumbled under my breath.

"Are you having regrets or second thoughts about quitting the station?" He asked and I immediately snapped my head up off the bar.

"Absolutely not. I won't have Bella sitting at home worrying about me every time I go to work, but I'm bored." I told him honestly.

He just laughed. "You don't say. You only rearrange the storeroom and your office every couple days and this place has never been as clean as it is right now." He laughed and I nodded.

"I just don't know what to do with myself during the daytime while Bella's at school." I told him as I looked over my pride and joy and smiled a little at all that I had accomplished in the past couple years.

"What do you want to do, Edward?"

I shrugged my shoulders in irritation because that was part of the problem. "I don't know I never really took the time to think about it because I was content with my lot in life until Bella came along and changed what I wanted out of life. Before her I never wanted a family and now that's all I can seem to think about; having a family and future with her."

"Have you ever thought of opening another club? Maybe on the other side of town or even in another city since this one pretty much runs itself?" He suggested.

I almost immediately knew what I wanted to do now, all thanks to Seth. I smiled broadly at him. "Thanks for the talk, Buddy, you ever think about going into psychology? You would make a great therapist." I told him as I jumped off the barstool and made my way back to the store room.

He followed me and we worked in silence for a little bit before I broke it. "Hey Seth, we need to call an employee meeting in the next few days, okay? Can you pass along the word that I would like to talk to everybody on Friday before we open?" I asked him as we finished stocking the last few cases of alcohol.

"Sure thing, Buddy." He said as he passed by me and headed to the front of the club and I headed out back.

BPOV

The weeks since Valentine's Day had been both amazing and frustrating all at the same time. I could tell that Edward was getting restless unless I was around and I didn't know what to do about it. Every time I approached him about it, he would just smile and distract me, somehow claiming he was fine. I wanted to take him somewhere when spring break rolled around, but I just couldn't figure out where to go. I currently had brochures spread out on my desk in front of me on destination vacations. Venice. St. Croix. Hawaii. Paris. Santorini. Greece. I just had to narrow it down and pick one.

I groaned in frustration because they all looked amazing in the brochures and I didn't want to pick the wrong one for us. I groaned again and laid my head down against the desk because I had been at this for almost a week now and still couldn't make a decision.

"What's up, Baby girl?"

I snapped my head up and looked at Bree as she strolled into my room and hopped up on my desk. "Trying to narrow down a spring break vacation and I need to do it today so that I can book the flight, hotel, and rental car before nothing is available." I told her as I lay my head back across my arms and laid them down on the desk.

"Isn't it usually the guy that surprises the girl?"

I nodded. "Who says I have to be like other girls and wait for the boy to surprise me?" I asked.

She just chuckled. "True Baby, true. So what's the problem with picking one?" She asked as she tugged a few brochures out from under my arms.

"I want it to be perfect." I said in frustration.

"Why don't we number each of them, put strips of paper with numbers on them in a bowl and you just pick one?" She suggested like the elementary teacher that she was.

"Hey that will work, won't it?" I raised my head in anticipation of finally picking one. Bree smiled and snatched her pen out of her hair and went to number the brochures and I went to tearing strips of paper and numbering them.

Once I had the strips numbered, I looked around for something to put them in when Bree dramatically flipped the fedora off her auburn curls and laid it on my desk. "Here you go, Beautiful. Use this." I just chuckled at her and dumped the numbers inside of it.

She mixed them up and I closed my eyes sticking my hand in Bree's hat and drawing out our vacation destination for spring break.

When I walked into Breaking Dawn that afternoon I had a slight pep in my step over finally settling my surprise destination vacation. "Edward?" I hollered out when I didn't see him behind the bar.

"Back here, Baby." He called out from his downstairs office.

I had only been in there a couple of times as he usually worked upstairs in his condo. I walked into the room that wasn't much bigger than a closet and saw him perusing his laptop. "Whatcha lookin at, Barman?" I asked him as I draped my arms over his shoulders and rested my head beside his.

He had a map of Texas pulled up and was looking at some sort of statistics, his area of expertise not mine. "Statistics of businesses in other towns in Texas." He explained never breaking his gaze from the computer.

"Okay, Mr. Business Major, why exactly are you looking at other Texas towns when we live in Houston?" I asked him as I moved away from him and hopped up on his desk beside his laptop.

He finally looked up at me and shut the lid on the computer to explain to me. "Because I want to open a second club somewhere in Texas, and I was scoping out places to do that." He explained as he rolled his chair so that my legs were spread and positioned on either side of his hips.

"Really?" I asked excited for him.

He nodded. "There is just one thing I'm concerned about, though." He muttered quietly, almost too quietly for me to hear.

"What are you concerned about?" I asked him as I reached forward and ran my hands through his hair.

"Being separated from you." He said as he laid his head in my lap and wrapped his arms around my hips.

"Why would we be separated?" I asked him quietly as I ran my fingers through his hair gently soothing him.

"Because I will need to be on location to see the new club get its roots." He explained quietly.

"Again I ask, why would we be separated? Do you not want me to come with you?" I asked him nervous of his answer.

He jerked his head up at the uncertainty in my voice. "Don't be absurd. Of course I want you to come with me, but what about school? I wasn't going to do this until probably August or September because we have travel plans this summer to Forks."

I nodded. "I can always switch schools, Barman. I have bitched enough about teaching at a private school, I wouldn't mind the change back to public schools." I told him.

He smiled so broadly I thought his face was going to split open. "You would do that for me?" He asked quietly and I just nodded.

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	10. Chapter 10

**Here is yet another one! I hope you guys enjoy this one.**

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**So, I am a day early! **

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Chapter 10

Wednesday, March 13, 2012

EPOV

Bella had been really secretive the past week or so about spring break plans. I had tried to talk to her the other night and she got really agitated and told me to make absolutely no plans for spring break because she had them all taken care of. I was curious as to what she had planned but she was locked up tight like Fort Knox. I even tried the tactic of telling her that I needed to let my employees know if we were going out of town or not and for how long but she just told me that she had already talked to Seth and Tanya and had it all taken care of.

At the employee meeting this past Friday, I had promoted Seth and Tanya to managers and had also put them in charge of hiring three more people, two bartenders and one bouncer for the busy nights. They had immediately started scouting for the new employees and had done a variety of interviews and trial periods over the weekend but so far nothing had panned out yet.

Tonight was Bella, Alice, and Rosalie's night to shine. They had taken over Lady's Night much to the amusement of us guys. They had banished us upstairs to play with the girls while they had a blast passing out drinks to the women and chatting with them as they bartended. I was currently cooking supper for all of us as Bella was upstairs taking a quick shower while we waited on the rest of the crew to show up. Ambrianne and Tanya were downstairs managing the few patrons we had down there as it was still early. Ambrianne was the newest interviewee and she was being given a trial run tonight with our ladies.

"So help me God, Emmett, if you don't get that fucking thing cut off I am going to cut if off for you." Rosalie screeched as she stalked into my condo. I was on the second level and could hear her plain as day as she screamed at Emmett. I could only guess what it was about, she must have just found out she was pregnant again.

"But, Rosie, you promised me a boy and..." I never heard another word from him as he trailed after Rose as they walked slowly up the stairs to the kitchen. I immediately noticed that the girls weren't with them.

"Hey guys, where are the girls?" I asked as I continued to cook dinner.

Rose glared at Emmett and nearly confirmed my suspicions, hell they had been popping out kids left and right in the past 5 years. "We got the babysitter to sit with them so that Hercules here and I could go have a chat before we came over here." Rosalie said as she headed up the stairs to where we could hear Bella talking to herself.

I looked at Em after Rosie went upstairs. "What the hell was that all about, bro?" I asked Emmett as I plated the rice, the shrimp stir fry and the sauce over the top onto our four plates.

"She just found out today that she's pregnant again and she is ready to castrate me, like I got us in this situation all by myself." He grumbled as he grabbed two plates and went to sit them on the table just as the women came back downstairs.

I shook my head at the Southern Belle symbol on the front of Bella's shirt; the woman had a never ending supply of these shirts. "What's this one say, Baby?" I asked her when she came to grab the wine from the fridge.

She smiled and simply turned her back to me so I could read it. It said 'Ladies, put your big girl panties on and deal with it'. I reached her side and kissed her on the side of the head as we headed to the table.

"When are Alice and Jasper getting here?" Rosalie asked as she dug into the stir fry dinner.

I shrugged my shoulders because you never could tell about Alice and since Jasper seemed to be an extension of her, you never could tell when they would arrive somewhere. "You know how they are, Rosie." I told her timidly, kind of scared at her with the way she is glaring at Emmett.

She nodded and smiled at me. "I still love you Edward, even though your dimwit cousin here may not survive the next nine months." She said as she dug into her food.

Bella and I chuckled while Emmett groaned. By the time we finished our dinner, Alice and Jasper were strolling up the staircase from the living room. It was still early enough so we just walked down the inside staircase and into the club that wasn't very packed yet since Lady's Night didn't officially start until six. During the weekday's, the club only stayed open until 11, so we opened the doors at 11 so the lunch stragglers could come get a drink.

"You ladies ready to give us all a show?" I asked them as the three of us sat on the barstools at the side of the bar and the ladies went under the counter to get behind the bar instead of raising the trap door.

They all nodded and took their spots along the bar with Tanya and Ambrianne at the other end. Within an hour, the place was packed full of ladies of varying ages and states of dress. I whistled to get Bella's attention and she jerked her head to me with a smile on her face. I nodded towards the stairs and she smiled and blew a kiss to me in acknowledgement.

"Come on guys, let's let the ladies have their fun and we will go watch the game that's on tonight." I told them as I stood from my stool.

BPOV

I was having a blast mixing and slamming out drinks with the ladies, but I was ready for the guys to leave so that I could finalize some the finer details of our vacation that we were leaving on in two days.

"So Tanya, are you sure that us leaving for a week isn't going to be a problem for any of you guys?" I asked her when we had a small break in the throng of women.

She nodded. "We will be fine, Bella. And also your first surprise is all in order." She told me with a smile.

I grinned back and nodded. I was going to be leaving Edward a trail of clues all over the place until we left Friday afternoon when school let out.

I faced Rosalie and Alice. "Rosie, are your girls ready for their performance tomorrow afternoon?" I asked her. This was the true reason why they weren't here; they were at home practicing their miniature dance in their grass skirts and Hawaiian bathing suits.

She nodded. "Yeah, they are super excited to be doing this for their Eddie." She said as she rubbed a hand over her slightly rounded stomach.

"What are y'all gonna do if it's another girl?" Alice asked quietly.

Rosalie just shrugged her shoulders. "Doesn't really matter to me, as long as it's healthy, I just like giving Emmett a hard time about it. We've both always wanted a large family." She explained.

I nodded as she went to sit on the barstool while the rest of us continued chatting up the crowd and pouring drinks.

After two hours of having a blast with the ladies, I was exhausted on my feet and ready to go crash with my amazing boyfriend upstairs. I had just called and told Emmett that Rose had fallen asleep at the bar and he should come get her. I giggled when I saw all three of the guys coming through the side entrance door. They ignored the comments and wandering hands of the patrons as they made their way to us.

Alice hopped on top of the bar and scooted over to where Jasper stood and kissed him on the lips saying loudly to everybody around her "He's all mine, ladies. Look but don't touch!" causing Jasper to blush and the rest of us laugh.

He tossed her over his shoulder and waved at us as he headed them towards the back door. Alice was giggling like crazy as she hung upside down.

I glared at Edward as he stalked towards me. "Don't you dare think about it, Barman." He smiled and came to stand behind me with his arms wrapped around my waist.

"I would do no such thing, Baby." He said against my cheek and I nodded as we stood and watched the crowd around us.

"Guys, I'm gonna get her home and into bed. I will see y'all tomorrow night for a cookout at the house." Emmett asked and we both nodded as he gingerly scooped Rosie into his arms and carried her out the back door. The crowd oohed and ahhed over his actions. The man knew how to be sweet and romantic when he wanted to be.

"You ready to go upstairs, Baby?" Edward asked as he pressed his ever present hardness into my ass.

I groaned and nodded. We waved to Tanya and Ambrianne as we made our way to the back door. It sucked not being able to go straight up without going outside, but it was what it was.

I smiled to myself the next morning as I stood in front of the bathroom mirror in Edward's condo and got ready for school. I smiled because I had received the text message last night that his first 'clue' was in place. Tanya had placed a couple hundred Hibiscus flowers all over the club tables and bar.

"What's got you smiling so cheerfully this morning?" Edward asked as he climbed from the shower stall behind me.

"Nothing, just getting excited for spring break to get here." I told him cheekily.

He smiled evilly. "Are we going somewhere to be alone for a few days?" He asked as he wrapped his towel around his hips.

I smiled because I could honestly say 'no' without lying because we would be going somewhere to be alone for a week. It was a minor technicality but hey it still worked in my favor. "Nope." I said popping the 'p' and walking out of the bathroom so I could go put my shoes on.

"Bella." He groaned from the bathroom as he dried himself off and got ready for the morning. I just laughed at him and walked downstairs after I had my black heels strapped to my feet.

I made my way to the cabinet and pulled down my coffee mug and poured a cup of coffee with a shit load of sugar in it and sipped on it as I perused the fridge for my breakfast. I pulled out the bagels and cream cheese and went about preparing my breakfast as Edward strolled down the stairs in his blue jeans and nothing else. His shirt and socks were dangling from his hand as he made his way to my side.

"Baby, I love you, but please give me a clue as to what we're doing for spring break." He asked as he wrapped his arms around my waist and tugged me back into his naked chest.

I sighed and leaned back into him as I bit into my bagel and then offered him a bite. When he was busy chewing he placed a kiss against the side of my neck. "You look amazing today. Are these new pants?" He asked as he ran his hands down my stomach and around to my hips.

I nodded. "Yeah, Alice gave them to me the other day. I'm kinda leery to wear white pants, but I figured what the hell." I told him shrugging my shoulder. I was wearing white flared dress pants with a silky dark fuchsia shirt on and my black high heeled shoes that I had fallen in love with since I wore them on Valentine's Day. It seemed my clumsiness went away when I was at school and I could walk perfectly fine in these heels all day long. "You like?"

He nodded as he stepped back to admire my ass in the figure hugging pants. "Indeed I do. Sure you can't start your spring break early?"

I laughed and shook my head stepping away from him. "Nope, I have to set a good example for my students." I told him as I backed away from him.

I headed on downstairs to grab my bag and make my way to the side door entrance. "I love you, Barman. I will see you this afternoon." I told him as he came to open the door for me.

"I love you too, Baby. Have a good day at school." He said as he kissed me gently on the lips and opened the door.

I kissed him again quickly and stepped out. "Oh, by the way, there may be a clue downstairs waiting for you." I told him over my shoulder as I descended the stairs. I laughed as I heard the door slam shut quickly.

EPOV

I couldn't believe that she waited right until she left to give me a clue. I quickly slammed the door and hurried down to the club. I stopped dead in my tracks when the flowery smell hit me. I grappled for the light switch and flipped it on and gasped when I saw what had to be hundreds of flowers littering nearly every surface in my usual spic and span club. There were yellow flowers for as far as I could see, whoever done this had done a damned good job of covering the place.

"What the hell?" I asked to myself as I picked up one of the yellow flowers. I knew they were hibiscus flowers because my mom had been a gardener and made sure that I could tell one flower from another.

I was beyond puzzled but I knew in the back of my head that they had a deeper meaning than just being a flower. I pulled out one of the chairs and sat down, twirling one of the flowers between my fingers, racking my brain as to what they really meant.

I plucked my phone from my pocket and sent Bella a quick message.

Hey Baby, I got your 'clue' but it's not really a clue. I can't figure out what the hell a yellow hibiscus has to do with our vacation. – Edward

I knew she wouldn't be able to reply back for a little bit because she was in class and was having to watch her p's and q's since the meeting with Jane and her parents.

I sat like that for a little bit longer still not getting what they meant. I got up and went to get a bucket and a broom so I could get them picked up. When I walked into the store room, I spotted two wooden crates with a knot taped to the wall above them.

I plucked the note off the wall and read my beautiful girlfriend's handwriting:

Just a few more days, Barman. Do NOT throw these beautiful flowers away. Put them back in these crates and Tanya is going to hand them out to all the female customers tonight. I hope this confuses you instead of making things clearer. LOL You are always surprising me, now it's your turn. I love you, Edward.

I smiled and placed the note in my back pocket for safe keeping and picked up the wooden crates and went about gently placing the delicate flowers back in the crate and then setting them in the cooler for safe keeping.

Once I was finished picking up the bar area, I headed back upstairs to my study to continue my search of possible properties to buy for the new club. I didn't want to go far from Houston because my family was here, but I knew that I needed to get out of Houston to start a new club and I didn't want to compete against myself for business on the weekends.

I was deeply engrossed in my research that I didn't hear Alice come in the side door until she hollered my name out. "Edward!? Where are you?" she hollered from the living room.

I chuckled and called back to her. "I'm in the study, Ali. Come on back." I called to her as I leaned back in my chair. "What's up, Pixie?" I asked her when she pranced into my office in some elaborate Hawaiian print dress and another hibiscus tucked behind her ear.

"Nothing much. It's that time of the month." She said as she flopped her lease payment on top of my desk and flopped down in the chair in front of the window beside my desk.

I grumbled to myself and just ignored the envelope in front of me. She was leasing to own the two store front buildings and just about had them paid off. I hated taking money from my friends, but business was business and bullshit was bullshit. "Thanks, Pixie." I told her as I wrote out her receipt. "You know you could have just given this to me tonight." I told her since we were all invited to Em and Rose's tonight for some 'big announcement' from the happy couple.

"Coulda woulda shoulda, Edward. Plus, I had to drop off a package for Bella." She said as she pulled her flower out from behind her ear and twirled it between her fingers.

"Okay, what's up with you girl's and hibiscus flowers today?" I asked her as I leaned back in my chair.

She just chuckled. "Found those, did you?"

I nodded. "There had to be hundreds of them downstairs this morning when I went down there, but I haven't figured out what the significance is yet." I told her and she just smiled cheekily at me. I narrowed my eyes at her because it was obvious she knew something that I didn't. "You know where we're going, don't you?" I asked her.

She nodded but did the zipping motion over her lips and made a show of tossing the key in the trashcan. "My lips are zipped on it though. I gotta run, Buddy." She said as she made a hasty retreat out the door.

My phone dinged almost in tune with my front door slamming announcing Alice's departure. I picked it up and smiled when I saw that it was a message from Bella.

How did you like your second clue? –Bella

I pondered that. What had been my clue? I hadn't seen anymore since I had found the flower's downstairs.

I haven't gotten a second clue that I know of. –Edward

LOL. Alice was your second clue, Barman. Haven't figured it out yet? –Bella

Smart move, Baby. Smart move. Love you. -Edward

I groaned and laid my head back against my chair in frustration at not being able to put together the clues of our vacation. But I was itching to get away from everything for a few days. James, the new delivery guy had screwed up my order for the second week in a row and I had had to run out to the local liquor store and buy more alcohol to supplement what he constantly screwed up. I couldn't pinpoint where I want I wanted to open the new club at. I was toying with the idea of asking Bella to move in with me but I didn't want to live over the club anymore, her house was perfect. It was also approaching the time of the year that was the anniversary of my parent's death and that was hard for me to deal with and I didn't know how Bella would be able to handle my mood on that day. Usually I spent the whole day in bed and nobody messed with me besides a text message asking me if I was okay at the end of the day. Like I said, I could use the time away with just Bella and I.

I became engrossed in some of the accounts for my block of downtown Houston's historic district when my phone rang and I picked it up and saw a number I didn't recognize. "Hello?" I asked cautiously.

"Mr. Cullen, I have a package for you but I can't get it through the gates. I need to know if I should leave it here by the gate or what?"

I furrowed my brow. "Just stay right there, I will be right out." I told whoever it was and hung up.

I quickly slipped on my flip flops and my shirt and ran down the inside stairs and out the side door to the club and to the gate. Indeed there was the postman with a small brown package.

Once I had the package signed for, I slowly made my way upstairs when my phone dinged again announcing yet another text message.

Don't shake the box too much, there may be something fragile inside. –Rosalie

I shook my head. It seemed like all of my friends are in on the surprise but me.

I sat down on the first landing of my outside private staircase and opened the box that was addresses to me from Bella. Inside the box, I found three things. A miniature tiki torch, a jar full of beach sand and a pair of swim trunks that had huge hibiscus flowers all over them.

I groaned and shook my head, because this really didn't help me any at all. It still made no sense to me and I considered myself to be a rather intelligent person.

I picked up my phone and texted Rosalie.

¬You know where we're going, too? –Edward.

She immediately replied back.

Yep. Can't put it all together? –Rosalie

No. I guess I am trying too hard at it. I hope I figure it out soon. We should be there by 4:30 for the cookout. Need us to pick up anything? –Edward

Nope, got it all under control, buddy of mine. –Rosalie

I tossed my phone in the box and went upstairs and laid it all on the coffee table and sat down on the couch and looked at all of my 'clues' laid out before me.

I flopped back on the couch and turned the TV on, giving up on trying to figure it out and just letting her surprise me. I was engrossed in a baseball game when Bella walked in the door with shoes in one hand and her bag in the other. "Hey, Barman, have fun today?" she asked as she tossed her bag and shoes in the chair and curled up next to me.

I just chuckled and muted the TV. "Yeah, I loved all of your clues but I still haven't figured it out yet. Did you have a good day today?" I asked as I pulled her legs across mine and massaged her calves.

She smiled and nodded. "I did. Alec informed me that Jane and their parents went to Italy yesterday for an early start on spring break."

"I bet that makes your entire world better." I told her honestly. That girl made my girl upset weekly over her antics and lack of trying to complete her schoolwork.

She just laughed and placed a gentle kiss to my cheek before getting up and heading upstairs to change her clothes.

I got up and followed after her wanting to knock one thing off of my 'to do list' right now.

I sat on the foot of the bed and watched as she stripped out of her school clothes and into some yoga pants and yet another Southern Belle t-shirt. She grabbed her hair brush and came to sit between my legs and handed me her hair brush.

I smiled because this had become a ritual of sorts between us every afternoon. We sat quietly as I gently ran the brush through her long brown locks. She leaned her head back as I gently brushed her hair. When I was finished, I laid her brush on the bed beside my leg, pulled her hair to the side, and wrapped my arms around her waist. "Move in with me?" I asked against her neck.

She didn't answer me verbally but she nodded eagerly. "Here?" She asked quietly.

I shook my head. "No." I answered her simply.

"Ok." She answered just as simply.

We sat there for a few minutes until we heard both of our phones ringing. I dug mine out of my pocket as she hopped up and went to retrieve hers from the dresser. "Emmett." I told her as I held up my phone.

She held hers up and smiled at me. "Rosalie."

I chuckled and we both answered our phones as I went downstairs and she finished getting ready to go.

BPOV

I was giddy on the inside that he had asked me to move in with him and even giddier when he said we wouldn't be living above the club. I smiled as we pulled up to Rose and Em's house and saw the glow of all the tiki torches lining a path to the back yard.

Edward and I held hands as we followed the lit path towards the sound of laughter coming from the backyard.

"EDDIE!" Maggie screamed as soon as she saw us.

"BELLA!" Annabelle and Skylar screamed and launched themselves at me.

Victoria grinned a toothy grin and continued chomping down on her piece of pineapple. I knelt down on the ground as Anna and Sky tumbled themselves at me. "Hi, girls. Where is your mommy and sisters'?" I asked them quietly as I admired their Hawaiian print bathing suits and grass skirts and plastic hibiscus flowers ties in their ponytails.

"They're inside; Mama's still getting Maggie and Sariah ready." Skylar told me as I stood back up.

I took their hands and headed inside to find Rosie and make sure the girls were ready to do this for Edward.

After, I got the reassurance from both Rosie and all the girls except Maggie, who refused to leave Edward's side.

I went back outside and found Edward, Emmett, Jasper, Alice and Maggie chatting around the fire pit.

I went to Edward's side and smiled as I saw Maggie cuddled in his lap listening animatedly as the adults all talked. I leaned down and winked at her and she eagerly scrambled from Edward's lap and ran into the house.

"What did you do to my girl?" Edward asked as he tugged me down to his lap.

I chuckled. "I didn't do anything to her." I told him quietly as I listened for the back door to open.

Skylar and Annabelle ran up to Edward's side after a few minutes. "Hey, Eddie you wanna see our dance we learned at school this week?" They asked him sweetly.

He smiled and nodded eagerly just like we all suspected he would. "Sure thing, sweetheart. You wanna do it out here or should I come in the house?" He asked them.

"We will do it out here. The other girl's are gonna do it to. We've been teaching them after school." Skylar explained as Annabelle nodded eagerly in agreements.

They scrambled back into the house and we all turned our chairs towards the grassy area where they could have enough room to do their dance.

All 4 of the big girls piled out followed by Rose who held Sariah in her arms and had a hold of Lilly's hand. Skylar had a hold of Victoria's hand and led her to their spot. They all wore matching Hawaiian print bathing suits and little green grass skirts and hibiscus flowers in their ponytails. Rose went and sat Lilly and Sariah down on blankets in front of the bigger girls and put a little drum set in front of Lilly and she immediately went to drumming on it as she giggled away.

Rose came and sat in Emmett's lap as the girls began their traditional Hawaiian dance. It was too cute to watch them try to shake their hips and twirl in a circle all while doing their arm motions. They finished in a flourish of arms and limbs as they tried to bow gracefully but ended up tumbling all the way over causing all of us to laugh.

Edward clapped the loudest and I got up from his lap as each girl came and got their hug that he was offering out freely. Sariah began to whimper so I went and picked her up off the blanket and began talking softly to her and she immediately quieted down.

"That was great girls. Who's hungry?" Emmett asked them.

They all cheered that they were hungry. He stood up and went to get the grill ready as Alice walked past me and scooped up Lilly who was quickly losing interest in the drums on her blanket and followed Rose inside the house to prepare the food.

Jasper came and took Sariah from my arms and followed after Emmett; this was all part of the plan. I went and sat back down in Edward's lap. "How did you like clue number four, Barman?" I asked him once I had gotten comfortable on his lap.

"Where was clue number four?" He asked looking at me with a confused expression on his face.

I just laughed. "Nothing, Edward. Have you looked up the meaning of the yellow hibiscus flower?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "How in the hell did I not think of that?" He asked as he slapped a hand against his for head. I just chuckled.

"Maybe you should do that while I go help Rosie in the kitchen with clue number five." I told him as I pecked him on the lips and stood from his lap.

I heard him shout to Emmett as I strolled into the house. "Emmett, I'm using your computer real quick!"

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**So how long did it take you guys to figure out where they were going? Huh? Be honest!**

**Hawaii is next!**


	11. Chapter 11

**So, who's ready for Hawaii? I know I wished I could go there myself but I guess I will reserve that for the story and my dreams. Unfortunately this chapter would have been entirely too long with all of Hawaii included in it so we land in Hawaii at the end of this chapter but really delve into in the next chapter. Sorry!**

**There is a couple of pictures associated with this story, I will have the bold writing in the story and the link at the bottom! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

**Sorry for the multiple posts...after I posted the chapters I realized that the links at the bottom had disappeared or distoreted so I repaired them for those of you who like pictures to go with the stories!**

**Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight, not I.**

* * *

Chapter 11

Thursday, March 15, 2012

EPOV

After I looked up the meaning and significance of the yellow hibiscus flower, it all made sense. We were going to Hawaii for spring break.

I quickly ran down the stairs and into the kitchen where the ladies and kids were putting together traditional Hawaiian shish kabobs. I went to Bella's side, quickly turned her around and wrapped my arms around her lifting her off the ground in my eagerness. "I take it you finally figured out where we're going?" She asked cockily.

I nodded. "We're going to Hawaii!" I told her and clamped my lips to hers as I spun her around, causing the girls and women to laugh at my exuberance.

Friday, March 16, 2012

We were about 30,000 feet above the land on our way to Las Vegas for our six hour layover. "Baby, come on. You know you wanna try it. How many opportunities are we gonna have?" I asked her quietly and she just giggled, shaking her head no.

"Please, Bella, I'm aching." I begged her and rearranged my pants. She just laughed and shook her head again. She had been teasing me since she had strolled in from school and began stripping her clothes off as she climbed the stairs. As we were standing in line at security, she had leaned back against me and rubbed her delicious ass against my jeans. Then when we had actually boarded the plane, she rubbed against me provocatively as she slid in front of me to get to her window seat.

I had been begging her to join the mile high club with me for the past 30 minutes but she wasn't having it.

"No, Edward. It's too crowded on this plane." She said as if that was a feasible excuse because we were in first class and there were maybe eight people including us up here and we were sitting in the very back.

"Bullshit baby, there are only eight people including us back here. I'll be quiet if you can." I told her as I ran my hand up her leg and pressed my hand right against her heated core and pressed my fingers into her causing her to gasp.

"Fine. You go and I will follow in a few minutes." She told me and I quickly kissed her as I hopped from my seat and practically sprinted the few steps to the bathroom that we were practically right against.

I propped up against the small vanity in there and waited on my amazing as hell girlfriend. When I had first suggested this I had thought that she would never give in to me, but she actually did and now I was itching in anticipation.

The door quickly opened and in slid Bella. She quickly latched the door and turned to face me. "We have to be quick, Edward." She told me breathlessly.

I leaned forward and kissed her passionately but she pulled away before I could get too carried away. "I don't want to walk out of here and it is obvious to everybody what went on in here." She told me quietly.

I nodded and turned her around so that she faced the mirror and I was standing behind her. "I think this will be the easiest, so that we don't have to get fully undressed." I told her against her neck as I tugged her shirt up and her leggings and panties down a little bit.

She nodded and pushed her hips back into mine. I groaned and quickly undone my belt and jeans, shoving them and my underwear down to my knees and entering her as soon as I was free. We both moaned loudly as Bella slapped her hands onto the counter and hung her head.

I buried my head between her shoulder blades as I quickly pushed and pulled from the tight confines of her body.

It didn't take long for her to be clamping around me. I gripped her hips tightly and thrust into her quickly. Two, three times. I buried my groan against her neck as she continued to shudder around me. "Oh God, baby, that was amazing." I told her as I pulled out of her and stumbled a little bit.

She looked at me over her shoulder grinning at me. "So worth all the teasing." She said as stood up and pushed the hair out of her eyes as I refastened my jeans. "Now, go back to our seats while I clean up." She told me with a quick kiss to my lips.

I nodded and slipped out the door and back to my seat unnoticed by anybody. Or so I thought. Bella slipped in beside me a few minutes later, looking as beautiful as ever, not like the sex ravaged vixen that she was.

She laid her head on my shoulder and began dozing off just as the flight attendant strolled down the aisle asking everybody if they wanted something to drink or snack. When she got to us she winked at me and smiled. "Something to drink or snack?"

I grinned and shook my head. "No, thank you. We're perfect." I told her as I wrapped my arm around Bella and tugged her further into my side and reclined our seats.

BPOV

I was jolted awake when the captain announced that we were about to prepare to land and that we needed to right our seats and fasten our seatbelts.

"Oh God, I'm exhausted already." I groaned as I stowed my bag underneath the seat in front of me and snapped my seatbelt back together, grabbing hold of Edward's hand.

"Do you feel up to exploring Vegas during our layover or do you wanna find a hotel to catch up on our sleep?" Edward asked as the plane tipped forward in descent into the Las Vegas Airport.

"Hell no, I can sleep anytime. I wanna explore. We gotta go see an Elvis wedding chapel and at least walk down the strip while we're here." I told Edward enthusiastically.

He groaned good-naturedly but nodded in acquiescence. We disembarked our plane into Las Vegas, Nevada.

We walked hand in hand down 'the strip' and admired the fountains and lights. We were currently standing in front of the impressive Bellagio fountains, watching the show. Edward was standing behind me as I stood against the railing with his arms around me and our hands resting side by side against the railing.

*****Link to Bellagio fountains so that you can get an idea of what they were looking at*****

"It's beautiful, Edward." I commented as I leaned back into him and he leaned into me. There wasn't a millimeter of space between us, and we liked it that way. "I love you so much, Edward." I told him quietly.

"Mmm. I love you too, Baby, more than my own life." He whispered back against my neck as he placed a gentle kiss there.

"Does it get any better than this?" I asked him quietly.

"What do you mean Baby?"

"I mean, here we are, in love, on vacation, about to move in together, conquering our demons together, happy to be here. I am not afraid to conquer my demons with you by my side because I know that you understand and will know the perfect way to help me. I can't wait to make a lifetime of memories with you. Does it get any better than this?" I explained to him.

He just chuckled. "I don't know. Life seems pretty perfect at the moment, except for one thing." He paused dramatically. "Marry me? Tonight? Here?" He whispered quietly against my neck, so softly I almost didn't hear him.

I gasped when he didn't say anything else. I attempted to turn around but he pressed against me, preventing me from turning to face him. "Are you serious, Edward?" I asked him just as quietly as the water shot high in the air.

He nodded against my neck. He moved his hands off the railing for a few minutes, I could hear him rustling around with something but I couldn't tell what he was doing since he wouldn't let me turn around. He wrapped one arm around my waist and held the other out in front of me and I gasped. When he worked at the fire station, he had kept his mother's wedding ring locked in the safe in his closet because he didn't want to risk losing it. He had been wearing both his mother's and his father's wedding bands since he quit the fire station on a white gold chain around his neck. "Isabella, will you marry me?" He asked again and I nodded eagerly and held my hand out to him.

He slipped one half of his mother's set onto my finger and I smiled because it was a perfect fit. "I love you and I love it. I'm honored to wear her bands, Barman." I whispered to him as I admired my newest jewelry.

"I'm glad, Love. You ready to go find that chapel?" He asked with a teasing laugh.

******Picture of engagement/wedding rings at bottom of Chapter********

He finally allowed me to turn around and I threw my arms around his neck in happiness. "You know, we don't have to get married tonight." I told him in reassurance in case he really didn't want to get married tonight.

He shook his head. "If you're game, then I would love to land in Hawaii as Mr. and Mrs. Cullen." He told me as he sealed his lips to mine.

Three hours later, we were boarding the plane as Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen and had pictures to prove it. I didn't regret any of it and the smile on my face proved that. "Should we text our friends and let them know or just surprise them when we get home?" I asked Edward as we settled back into our seats headed for Hawaii.

"I say let them find out on their own, but I will leave that option up to you, Wife." He said with a grin on his face lifing my new old rings to his lips to pres a kiss against them.

*****Picture of combined wedding ring and engagement ring*****

"I don't think I will ever get tired of hearing you call me that, Husband." I told him and we both chuckled at our silliness. "I kinda like your idea of waiting and letting them figure it out all on their own, but we're not getting back until late Sunday night and probably won't see them until the next weekend." I argued with myself.

"Then just text them a picture of your ring and see what they say." Edward suggested as we began our ascent into the sky.

"That's a great idea, I will do that as soon as we land in Hawaii." I told him as I snuggled into his side. "Where are we gonna live when we get back home?" I asked him quietly.

"I don't care as long as I am with you but I don't want to live above the bar anymore. We can either live at your house until we leave for the summer or we can get another place of our own. What do you want to do?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "It doesn't really make sense for the both of us to move when we will have to move again in a few months, so I guess my house it is. Have you decided on a place for the new club?"

He groaned. "I have it narrowed down to three places, but I can't decide which place I want to move to. San Antonio and Austin are both over two hours away from Houston and I don't really wanna be that far away from everybody. College Station is a huge college town and is only a little over an hour away from here." He said as he scrubbed a hand over his face in frustration.

"Then it seems like you have already made up your mind, but you are fighting against it for some reason." I told him as I snuggled into his chest.

He groaned. "You know me so well. A club would do fantastically in College Station because of all the college students but there may not be too many job opportunities for you there." He admitted.

"Don't you worry about me; I am good at what I do and anybody who knows me will put in a recommendation if I asked them to. I can find a job, don't you worry about that, Husband. It looks like we are moving to College Station after the summer is over." I told him with a sense of finality.

"One more thing, after we go to Forks this summer and conquer your demons, I want to go to Chicago and conquer mine." He told me quietly.

"That sounds perfect, Edward. Absolutely perfect. Do you have a big backyard in Chicago?" I asked him as a plan formulated in the back of my head.

He nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"Maybe we could invite everybody up and have a 4th of July celebration there as well as a birthday celebration for you, Tori, and Emmett?" I posed it like a question.

I could practically hear him grin at my suggestion. "Sounds perfect, Baby. We can all stay at the house and create some fun loving happy memories there."

With everything settled in our minds, our bodies settled down to and we dozed back off together, the first time as husband and wife.

EPOV

I couldn't believe that this amazing creature was now my wife. I had not planned to propose in Vegas, much less get married, but the moment had seemed perfect and I couldn't pass up the perfect opportunity. I heard the announcement that we were about to land in Hawaii in approximately thirty minutes.

I stroked Bella's arm gently as it was draped over my chest. She was snoring lightly as she continued to sleep on in contentment. I smiled when I got to the rings now standing out on her left hand. "Bella, Baby, wake up." I jostled her a little bit.

She groaned and leaned back into her own seat and blinked her eyes open and looked at me blearily. "Good morning, Husband." She told me as she smiled slightly, still trying to wake up.

"Good morning, Wife." I told her and was just about to lean forward and give her a kiss when she clamped her hand over her mouth and her eyes got huge.

I jumped up from my seat and moved out of the way as she scrambled for the bathroom. I knew it wasn't morning breath, because we had conquered that battle months ago right after we first started dating. I wandered if she was getting motion sickness from flying so much in the past little bit when she wasn't used to flying at all.

I made my way to the bathroom where I could hear her retching up what little bit she had eaten last night. "Sir, you are going to have to sit back down. We are about to land." The flight attendant said urgently.

I looked at her like she was stupid. "My wife is getting sick and I am going to check on her. Tell your captain he can fly around in a circle if he must but I am going to check on my wife." I told her snobbily and continued to make my way back to the bathroom.

She hadn't even bothered to latch the door in her urgency. I snatched it open and saw her sitting on the closed toilet with her head in her hands groaning. "Baby, are you okay?" I asked her as I knelt down in front of her.

She shook her head and looked at me with tears in her eyes. "I don't feel so good, Edward." She groaned.

I stood up and scooped her in my arms and backed out of the bathroom trying to not jostle her around too much. "We'll go see a doctor as soon as we land and get you checked out." I told her as I sat her back in her seat after glaring at the flight attendant who started to say something about me carrying my wife from the bathroom.

Bella shook her head. "I just need to rest, Edward. It's probably motion sickness even though I've never gotten it before." She said as she rested her head against the cool window beside her as I fastened her seatbelt.

"We are going to the hospital to get you checked out as soon as we get off this plane. No arguments. I want you to enjoy our vacation, too and you can't do that if you are sick." I told her as I sat back down and fastened my own seatbelt.

An hour later our luggage was on its way to the hotel and I was sitting beside Bella's bedside as she was laying in the hospital bed looking very pale to me. In the hour since we had disembarked from our flight she had thrown up two more times. Every time she ate or drank any little think she would puke it right back up.

The doctor strolled in with her chart in his hands. "Mrs. Cullen, I am going to have my nurse come draw some blood from you but first I need you to answer a few questions for me. Can you do that?" Bella nodded weakly and gripped my hand tightly in hers.

"When was your last menstrual cycle?" He asked without ever looking up.

"Umm.. three weeks ago." Bella mumbled.

"Was it normal?"

"Not really, but I have been stressed out lately with work." She explained and I squeezed her hand because I already knew all of this.

"Okay, have you ever experienced motion sickness before?" He looked up at her and smiled stiffly.

She shook her head. "I have been on unsteady surfaces before when I would go fishing with my father but I have never had any problems with it. I have also flown a few times before with no problems." She explained grumpily.

He nodded his head. "When was the last time you had anything to eat?"

"When we were in Vegas, last night sometime. I'm unsure of the exact time." She admitted sheepishly. It was right after we had said our vows, we had went and had a nice dinner.

"Was it anything unusual that you've never tried before?"

She shook her head. "No, I've had mushroom ravioli several times before and it's never caused me any problems."

"Did it taste like it normally does at other restaurants?"

She nodded but didn't say anything.

"Okay, that's it for now, Mrs. Cullen. The nurse will be in promptly to get your blood drawn so we can do a blood panel." He said as he left.

Almost immediately the nurse came in. She was an older woman that looked like Nurse Ratchet and she never spoke a word as she poked Bella and drew several tubes of blood before leaving again.

"I don't like her, Edward." Bella said as she rolled her head to look at me.

I just chuckled because I honestly couldn't blame her. "Me either, Baby. Try to get some sleep, okay?"

She nodded and closed her eyes whispering. "I love you, Husband."

I kissed her knuckles and whispered back. "I love you, too, Wife." I laid my head down on the side of her bed and closed my tired eyes too.

A person clearing their throat jerked me from my slumber. It was the doctor. I shook my head to clear it of the cobwebs and gently shook Bella's shoulder. "Baby, wake up the doctor's here." I told her as she began to stir.

We both looked to the doctor anxiously. "I have found out why you are getting sick, Mrs. Cullen. You are…"

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**Link to engagement ring...**www (dot**)** kay (dot**)** com/ProductDisplay?bcCatIds=100006 **.** 100007.100010&topCatId=100006&urlRequestType** (=)**Base&catalogId=10001&categoryId=&productId=940232818&errorViewName=ProductDisplayErrorView&urlLangId=-1&langId=-1&storeId=10101

**Link to wedding ring set... kay (.com)**

**/en/kaystore/engagement-wedding/diamond-bridal-set-1-7-8-carats-tw-14k-white-gold/100006/100006.100007.100010**

**Link to Bellagio Fountains... vegas (.com)**

** / attractions/on_the_ strip/bellagiofountains**

**I promise, Hawaii is next and already written!**

**What do you think is wrong with Bella? Leave me a review and lemme know what you think! I will give a sneak preview of next chapter to whoever tries to guess!**

******This is a total coincidence...they are going on spring break and so am I. You guys are getting a double dose today because I am going camping with the family until Sunday night and won't have access to any form of electricity or internet until then. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Once again, there are pictures associated with this chapter also. Welcome to Hawaii folks!**

**Please enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyers owns Twilight, not I.**

**Thanks to all the ones that have read and reviewed.**

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Chapter 12

Saturday, March 17, 2012

BPOV

We both looked to the doctor anxiously. "I have found out why you are getting sick, Mrs. Cullen. You are…"

"I am what?" I asked quickly when he paused.

"She is what? Edward demanded in a gruff tone.

"Mrs. Cullen, you are slightly dehydrated and about 5 weeks pregnant…." He continued talking but I don't think either of us heard anything other than that we were pregnant. Before we left we got to listen to the baby's heartbeat which was surreal and very strong.

Once we were released from the hospital with strict instructions to drink plenty of water or fruit juice and make an appointment as soon as we returned home and a sample of prenatal vitamins, we were on our way to the place we would call home for the next 6 days.

"Edward, you have to close your eyes." I told him as I parked the Jeep that we had rented when we left the hospital.

"Bella." He complained.

"Don't you start. The doctor told you I would be fine and that there were no dangers to the baby. This is our honeymoon and I expect you to act like it." I told him forcefully as I held out the scarf I wanted him to tie around his eyes.

"Fine, I am just worried." He said as he snatched the scarf and quickly tied it around his eyes compliantly. "Now what?"

I laughed and ran around the Jeep, opened his door, and grabbed his hand tugging him from the Jeep. "I love you, daddy to be." I told him as I led him through the hotel and to the front desk.

I changed our reservations to Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, picked up our keycards as he stood beside me silently, looking silly with the scarf tied around his eyes. Once I had everything squared away I led him out the private side entrance that led to the private bungalows that were situated along the beach.

He remained silent through it all and followed my instructions until we were standing in the middle of the main living area of the beach front bungalow. "Stay here, but keep the scarf on, please." I told him as I leaned forward and kissed him quickly.

He smiled and nodded as he stood there taking a big whiff of the air. "We're right on the beach because I can smell the salt in the water and I can also hear waves crashing in." He said observantly.

I chuckled. "Score 1 for my observant husband." I told him as I stripped out of my clothes before I grabbed his hand leading him to the bedroom.

I positioned him again. "Just a few more minutes, Barman, I promise." I told him as I danced away from him and placed my naked self on the bed in a provocative pose that he wouldn't be able to resist.

"Now, Edward. Take the blindfold off now." I told him huskily.

He quickly ripped off the scarf and smiled wickedly as he looked at me displayed on the bed for his taking.

"Wow, Mrs. Cullen, is this all for me?" he asked as he stalked towards the bed slowly like a lion stalking his prey.

The sun was setting before we exited the private oasis of our bedroom. We looked around the small bungalow and were amazed at the serinity and privacy that our bungalow offered us before we strolled the beach hand in hand. He had on a pair of blue/white Hawaiian print board shorts and I had on a blue/green trim bikini with a white sarong tied around my hips. Every time the waves rolled in, the water would lap over our feet and wash away our footprints as we strolled the beach and watched the sun set over the ocean.

*****Picuture of Bungalows below*****

When we found a secluded spot on the beach, Edward tugged me down into his lap and we watched the sunrise in silence. My stomach grumbling broke the peaceful mood we had created and caused us to laugh. "I guess it's time to feed you and munchkin, huh?" Edward joked as he stood up and dusted the sand off his but the best he could.

I just laughed with him and grabbed the hand he offered allowing him to tug me from the sand playfully. I love this playful carefree side of him and hoped he would always be this way, especially with me and our children. "I guess so, Husband."

He tugged me to his side as we walked back towards our bungalow. "Just imagine how they are going to take this news. You and Rosie will have your babies just a few weeks apart." He said as we slowly walked back through the surf.

"I know should I send the picture now?" I asked him anxiously. "I can't wait to share this with Rosalie because we can go baby shopping together; I think this will bring us closer together." I told him as we approached our home away from home.

"I don't see why not? Might as well." He said as he opened the door for me to enter before him. "Do you want to order room service or should I?"

"You order the food and I will shock the living daylights out of our friends back on the mainland." I told him as I dug my phone out of my purse and turned it back on for the first time since we landed. It immediately went to dinging.

I scanned through the messages and laughed at some of them. Bree had sent me requests to not 'burn my beautiful body' and 'don't mess with perfection'. Angela had sent me tips on how to get sand out of 'unique places that sand has no business going'. Alice gave me tips on how to master the art of seduction. Rose sent me sex tips on how to 'rock your man's world'.

I laughed as I pulled out our marriage license, laid it on the coffee table and put my hand that displayed my ring on top of it and snapped a picture. I put the picture in a message and sent it to all of them with the message 'decided to have a little fun while on vacay' attached to the photo. As soon as it was sent I turned my phone back off, blocking out the real world.

I went on the hunt for Edward and found him out on the lanai with his hands stretched out behind his head as he stared up at the stars. "You get the food ordered?" I asked him as I snuggled in beside him.

He nodded. "Did you take your medicine and get the picture sent?"

I nodded and stared up at the sky with him. "Yeah, I didn't tell them about the baby yet. I want to see how they take the news of our impromptu marriage first." I explained to him as I threw a leg and an arm across his body. It was nice to be able to just enjoy the quiet with him and not find it awkward at all.

There was a knock at the door and I jumped up to go get it, knowing that it was our dinner. We ate quickly and voraciously before we went and crawled into bed exhausted from all the traveling and the impromptu hospital visit.

EPOV

I had been awake for a little bit and was content to just sit here and admire my wife's beauty. Except now she wasn't just my wife, she was my future. This woman held my reason for existing anymore in the palm of her tiny hands and she didn't even realize it.

I wander how our family was dealing with the shock of seeing that photo and then not being able to get a hold of either of us because our phones were turned off. I knew that as soon as Bella and I got up and around, we needed to call them and explain before they started freaking out, especially Rosie because she was pregnant. I smiled as I felt Bella stirring beside me.

When she flashed those big brown eyes up at me, I smiled down at her. "Good morning, Mrs. Cullen."

She groaned and rolled over burying her head in my chest. "Good morning, Mr. Cullen." She croaked out.

I smoothed a hand down her naked back and cupped her butt in my hands. "How's your stomach doing this morning?" I asked her in concern before I went any further.

"It's fine right now. I really hope it was just the flying and not the first of morning sickness." She grumbled into my chest.

"If there was something I could do baby I would. I hope this pregnancy is easy on you." I told her as I pulled on top of me, straddling my hips.

She sat up with her hands against my chest. "I see someone is happy about something this morning." She commented as she rolled her hips on top of mine, spreading her wetness over my hardness.

"I'd be even happier if my wife would take care of me." I told her as I rubbed against her suggestively.

And take care of me she did.

The outdoor rainfall shower was a unique experience; thank God it was secluded and surrounded by ten foot high rock walls because we got carried away under the warm water.

After our too long joint shower, we settled out on the lanai in separate chairs and called our friends. I let Bella do the calling. She called Rosalie first, because she was concerned about the stress and the baby.

In typical Rosie fashion, she answered the phone with a harsh "You better get to splainin' missy."

Bella and I just laughed. "Hello to you too, Rosie." I told her since Bella had her on speakerphone.

"Don't you talk to me right now, Edward Anthony. How could you do this to me? Huh? Tell me you are married through a text message? I thought we were closer than that, Bella." She snapped at Bella.

I motioned for the phone and Bella handed it to me with tears in her eyes. I took the phone off speakerphone and pulled it my ear. "Rosalie Lillian Hale McCarty, what has gotten into you? You can't blame this on pregnancy hormones since this is your seventh pregnancy." I chastised her as I saw Bella get up from her chair and go back inside the bungalow.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't mean to snap like that. I'm just shocked that you would do all of this without any of us." She said in a pitiful little whiny voice.

"It won't work this time, Rosie. You need to find a way to make this up to my wife and quick. I will not spend the rest of my vacation and honeymoon listening to any of you snap or chastise my wife. Got it?" I growled at her.

"Yes, Edward, I got it. I will find some way to make it up to her. Do you think she will talk to me again?" She asked quietly.

"If I know my wife as well as I think I do, I think she may be open to listening to an apology because y'all have become like family to her too." I told her honestly as I stood and went in search of my wife.

I found her out on the private lanai from our bedroom curled up in a cushioned chair crying quietly. "Baby, it's going to be okay." I told her as I sat down in front of her.

She launched herself at me and began crying into my shoulder as sobs racked her body. "Your friends hate what I've done." She cried.

I pulled her back, my hands gripping her arms lightly. "I am only going to say this once, Isabella Cullen, so you best listen really closely." I told her sternly. When she nodded I continued. "You are the one I chose; you are my wife, the mother of my unborn child, and my future. I don't give a flying fuck what they think. If they don't approve of my decisions then they weren't really friends or family to begin with. Okay?" I asked her as I wiped the tears from her cheeks.

She nodded and gave me a small smile. "Good, now one of OUR friends has something she needs to say to you, will you hear her out?" I asked her, putting emphasis on the word OUR so she knew that I considered my friends her friends also.

She nodded and took the phone with a little bit of trepidation. "Good, I'm gonna go get mine and call Jazz and Alice while you talk it out with Rosie. Okay?" I asked her as I stood up from the chaise chair.

She smiled and crooked a finger at me. I smiled back and leaned down to her. She placed a scorching kiss against my lips and whispered "I love you, Mr. Cullen." She then leaned back and put the phone to her ear.

I shook my head and made my way back out to the main lanai giving Rosie and Bella some space.

BPOV

When I called Rose, the last thing I had expected was for her to be angry and upset with the decisions that we had made. I couldn't handle her being angry at me so when Edward asked for the phone I had easily turned it over to him and left him to his conversations with his good friend.

I knew how close Rose and Edward were; sometimes I thought they were closer than he and Emmett. I didn't know what he would do or say if she didn't accept what we had done. I had gotten up and left the outside area when he began to chastise her for talking to me that way and found myself on our private lanai off our master bedroom.

After a few minutes Edward found me out there and after a little speech where he made his intentions clear to unfortunately both me and Rosalie he handed me the phone saying that Rosie wanted to apologize.

"What, Rose?" I snapped once Edward had left the area.

"I'm so sorry Bella. I didn't mean to snap at you, it is all me. Lilly came down with the stomach bug yesterday and it has been hell here because she passed it on rather quickly to Maggie and Tori." She explained breathlessly.

"It's okay, Rosie. I just want you to know that we didn't plan this, it just happened. We had a layover in Vegas and were standing in front of the Bellagio fountains and were talking about how life couldn't get any more perfect than it was at that moment. He proposed with his Mama's ring and within an hour we had secured our marriage license and were legally married." I told her eager to share some of the details with one of my good friends.

"Aww. How romantic, that idiot has always had a romantic side to him. I know this because Emmett goes to him for romance advice when he is in the doghouse." Rosalie chuckled.

I just laughed. "He really is sweet and romantic, Rosie. You have no idea how sweet he can be sometimes, I am surprised that he hasn't been swept up before now."

She just laughed. "He was waiting on you obviously. Congratulations on your nuptials, I wish you both all the happiness in the world." She said sincerely.

"Thanks, Rosie that means a lot coming from you because you are a very important part of both our lives." I told her honestly.

"Ah, geez, you're gonna make me cry. I will be glad when the hormones hit you and we can cry sporadically together." She commented with a few sniffles.

I gasped. "How did you know?" I asked her with a whisper.

She just laughed. "I heard the little speech Edward gave you and he said that you are 'the mother of his unborn child' and that can only mean one thing. You're pregnant. Now I just want to say congratulations on the wedding, marriage, and baby."

"Thanks, Rosie. I have a bunch of questions and concerns about the baby and being pregnant in general, but I will wait until we get home." I told her on a chuckle.

She just laughed. "I am no expert by any means but I can recommend my OB/GYN and answer a lot of questions since this is my eighth baby."

"Can you give me the number to your doctor so I can set up an appointment for next week?"

"Sure thing, B! It's…"

We chatted for a few more minutes before the girls started crying in the background and she had to go. I settled into the chaise chair just enjoying the beautiful water for a little bit when my phone started ringing Angela's ringtone.

I answered it immediately. "Hey, Angie, how's the vacay going?" I asked her.

"Un uh, Mrs. Cullen, You don't get to ask about my vacation when yours seems to have been so much more exciting. Married, huh?"

"Yep, in Vegas Friday night, and that's not all either. We found out about our little surprise when we got to Hawaii and I couldn't stop throwing up." I told her suspiciously.

"You're pregnant?" She whispered.

I giggled into the phone confirming her suspicions.

"Congrats on all of it. We will have to have lunch on Monday so you can update me and Bree on everything. She's gonna have a conniption fit when she finds out about baby Cullen. She went hysterical when she got your pic of ring and license." Angela laughed.

I knew that Bree would take it hard but I had never given her any reason to think that something would actually happen between us. I thought it was just a fantasy of hers and definitely not one of mine. "Should I call her or give her a few days?"

"I would just give her a few days to process the marriage before calling her but maybe send her a text letting her know that you are pregnant that way she's not the last one to find out." Angela suggested like the brainiac that she is.

"Okay, Ang. I will see you Monday at school and we will definitely do lunch, too!"

"Have fun, B!"

I hung up the phone and jumped up from my chair to go search out my husband and baby's daddy.

I found him standing on the beach in his swim trunks staring out at the surf with his phone pressed to his ear talking to who I presumed to be Alice or Jasper. I slipped on one of my new bikinis and cover up before making my way to his side.

As soon as my feet hit the sand I could hear his voice carry to me. "Absolutely not, Mary Alice. We had our wedding and we will not be having another one unless Bella wants it. End of story."

I chuckled and walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist and ducked my head underneath his arm allowing him to tug me into his side pressing a kiss against my head.

I held out my hand for the phone. He grumbled but handed it to me anyways as we stood and stared at the ocean. "Mary Alice Brandon soon to be Whitlock, you listen and listen good. He is my husband and I married him in a perfect moment, perfect setting, and at the perfect time. Nobody and I mean nobody can recreate that." I told her sternly.

"Okay." She conceded. "Have it your way then. Can I at least throw you guys a congratulations party?" She asked getting excited again.

I looked to Edward. "Ali wants to know if she can throw us a congratulations party?" He smiled and nodded.

"Sure thing, Ali. But you will be congratulating us on more than just our nuptial's." I told her and laughed silently into Edward's side as she practically screeched into the phone.

"What else is there, B?" She asked once she figured out she didn't exactly know what we would be celebrating.

"A baby." I told her quietly.

"I'm not including Rose and Em's news in with yours. I will throw them their own party." She said, not catching on.

"I'm not talking about Rose and Em's baby, Ali. I'm talking about mine and Edward's baby." I told her and then had to hold the phone away from my ear to keep from going deaf by her squeals and screams.

We eventually got her calmed down and off the phone as we agreed to have the party the weekend after we came home.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing on the beach and playing in the surf just doing whatever tickled our fancy at the moment, which wasn't much of anything specific.

We were once against sitting in the sand, me between Edward's spread legs, his arms wrapped around my waist and resting on the nonexistent baby bump where our child resided.

"Are you excited about the baby?" I asked quietly as we watched the sky change colors with the sun setting slowly into the ocean.

EPOV

Hmm, was I excited about the baby? I was nervous, worried, scared, and excited. "Hmm, yeah among other things." I whispered against her ear.

"Me, too, I think I'm more worried that this is all happening so quick than I am about the actual baby or our marriage." Bella admitted as she leaned back into my chest.

"I know what you mean, but I am confident in us. This is a long time compared to my parents. They met, moved in together, and were married within two weeks." I told her remembering when how my parents acted around each other all the time.

"How long were they married when they passed away?" She asked quietly.

"Thirty years and were just as blissfully happy and in love as if they were newlyweds." I told her wistfully.

"Tell me about them, Husband."

"Hmmm… I don't talk about them anymore to anybody. Not even Rose, Em and Jazz know much about them except that they died before I graduated high school." I told her honestly, tightening my arms around her slightly.

"You can tell me, Babe. You can tell me anything, you know that, Edward." She told me hugging me closer to her.

I nodded and took a deep breath. "My dad was a pediatric surgeon, one of the best in Chicago, and was well sought out, but he always put me and my mom first. He never missed a game or piano recital, ever." I told her as I stared out at the horizon with my future cradled in my arms.

"You play the piano?"

I chuckled. "I don't know if I can anymore, I haven't touched a piano since the day they died. Before that, I had been playing the piano since I was old enough to sit by myself on the piano bench without falling off." I chuckled as memories of my mom and I sitting practicing for hours on the piano.

She remained quiet, but rubbed her hands up and down my arms soothingly. I continued with my stories and memories. "I remember my dad and I tossing the baseball back and forth in our backyard when I was younger. My mom was an interior designer and was constantly changing our house around to whatever new trend was in style at the moment." I chuckled as I remembered my dad arguing with my mom playfully as she would send perfectly good furniture and decorations to the good will store and buy whatever was 'in style' for the moment.

"They sound amazing. I hope we are good parents so that our child has good memories like that after we are gone." She said quietly.

"I hope so too, Baby, I hope so too. Tell me a little bit more about your parents now." I asked her after a few quiet moments.

She sighed and wiggled around until she was face to face with me with her legs draped over either side of my hips. "I didn't have near the amazing home life that you did. My dad, Charlie, was the chief of police in our small town of Forks, Washington and worked all the time. He loved my mom but she didn't love him as much back, so he worked all the time to avoid having to deal with that. The time he wasn't at work, he was out on the lake fishing. I went with him a lot of the time because he allowed me to be the child that I was." She paused as she blinked rapidly.

"It's okay, baby, I am sure they both loved you dearly." I tried to reassure her.

She nodded and smiled at me. "They did love me. They stayed together for me so that my home life wouldn't be disrupted while I was going through school. But my mom was like a child most of the time; she would go off for weeks at a time without a second thought about me or my dad. By the time I was fourteen, I was cooking most of the meals, paying the bills, and cleaning the house as well as making straight A's in school." She admitted with a sad smile.

"Really?" I asked her in shock, she never showed that she held any resentment for either of her parents.

She nodded again. "Yeah, I loved them both but sometimes I think it would have been easier if they hadn't stayed together just for me. My mom had been having an affair for years with a guy that lived in Seattle named Phil. She always complained about the non-stop drizzle that seemed to be ever present in Washington and about the lack of social life that was available in Forks."

I shook my head in amazement that she had turned out so wonderful having had to deal with all of that growing up. "Having dealt with all of that during your childhood, are you scared about this baby?"

She smiled broadly and shook her head. "Not at all. I know that I will be a better mother than my own and she has taught me what not to be. Even in all her child-like flightiness and actions she always came back to me and I know that she loved me deep down." She explained.

"I think we will make amazing parents. Do you still want to move to College Station knowing that we are expecting a baby sometime towards the end of this year?" I asked her questioningly.

"What would you think about me taking a year or two off from teaching? Just until the baby is a little bit older?" She asked me as she ducked her head.

I tucked a finger under her chin and tipped her head up until I could look into her shining brown eyes. "I think you need to do what you feel is best. I think it's kind of crazy to start a school year when you are going to have to go on maternity leave halfway through."

She nodded. "Can we afford for me to take off work for a few years?" She whispered.

I smiled at her because she really had no idea how well off she was. "Baby, you don't have to work ever again if you don't really want to. We have more than enough to live well off for the rest of our lives as well as our children's lives." I told her honestly.

She groaned. "How did I not know this? You don't flaunt your monetary status at all and you work your ass off like you have to work to make ends meet."

I chuckled and pulled her further into my lap. "Think about it logically Bella. I just told you my father was a well sought out pediatric surgeon and my mom was an interior designer. They are both dead and I inherited all of their money, their joint life insurance policies and my trust fund when I turned 21. They taught me to be humble and that money didn't grow on trees, it was earned through hard work." I explained to her.

She nodded. "My parents weren't very well off at all; we usually scraped pennies together to make ends meet but I did inherit my father's life insurance policy when he died. He had taken one out the day I was born but my mom thought she would live forever and chose not to take one out. I think they had sixty fiver dollars in their bank account when they died."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Baby, that you had to go through all of that but at least I know that our child will have a similar attitude towards our money that my parents instilled in me." I told her honestly.

She nodded and buried her head in my neck and wrapped her arms tight around me. "I love you, Edward. More than I've ever loved anybody before." She whispered in my neck.

I stood up in one smooth motion and hitched her higher around my waist and trudged the short distance back to our bungalow. "I love you too, Baby, and I'm about to show you just how much."

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**As promised...a picuture of the bungalow in Hawaii... maunalani (.com)**

**/****hawaii-luxury-bungalows . htm**

**Who figured that she was pregnant, huh?**

**Please if you read this, leave me a little review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**I hope nobody gets disappointed when I don't spend 3 or 4 chapters on Hawaii, but this is it. They go home towards the end of this chapter. There are more important things to spend each chapter on than a vacation when we have 2 more coming up during the 'summer time' anyways.**

**One of my readers expressed her dislike of my not going into sex scenes and I am going to say that I just don't feel all that comfortable writing them. If you have read my other 2 stories I know I went all the way through with most of the scenes but I had help writing those and my help is out of state on a family emergency at the moment so there will be no in depth sex scenes. SORRY!**

**Okay, so my vacation got cut really short due to rain and 30 degree temperatures. Sleeping outside in a tent, with no electricity, no way to heat it up, and freezing temperatures is not my idea of fun. So I hauled my happy ass back home where it was warm and comfortable! **

**I figured you guys deserved a treat so here is Chapter 13.**

**Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight, not I.**

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Chapter 13

Saturday, March 24, 2012

BPOV

We had been in Hawaii for 7 days now and we were heading home in just a few hours and we were both eager to get home and kind of sad to be leaving our paradise oasis. It was our last day here and we were being lazy, again. We had talked to our friends a few times over the past few days and arranged for them to pack up Edward's essentials and move them into my house so that we didn't have to fuss with it when we got home. They easily agreed and told us to consider it a wedding gift from all of them.

Edward had run into town really quick to buy another suitcase because everything that we had bought wouldn't even begin to fit in our suitcases that we had come here with. Every day this past week we had went exploring on a different part of the island and bought souvenirs for everybody as well as some stuff for ourselves and our munchkin, as we had taken to calling the baby. I heard the wheels of what must be the new suitcase rolling on the sidewalk and went to hide in my spot behind the door of the bedroom.

I wanted to surprise Edward with an amazing last day, precisely why I had feigned sick this morning and begged him to go and get the suitcase by himself. Luckily he hadn't made a big deal about my being 'sick' and left without me without much fuss.

I smiled when I heard him call out for me. "Baby?"

"In here! I have a surprise for you, if you come and get it." I told him in my best sexy voice.

"Are you feeling better?" I heard him sit the suitcase down along with a bag of some sort.

I rolled my eyes. "I was fine before. I just needed you to leave and give me time to get my shit together." I told him with a laugh as I rocked from one foot to the other. I was standing just on the other side of the wall from him in basically nothing. I had on a sexy light pink front fly away baby doll that had mysteriously shown up on Wednesday at the front desk of the hotel our bungalow belonged to. It was gorgeous and was like wearing nothing at all. The panties were so small they may as well have not even existed in the first place.

*****Link to Bella's outfit is at the bottom*****

My skin had taken on a natural light tanned glow with all the time I had been spending out in the sun this past week and the outfit looked gorgeous if I did say so myself.

Edward groaned and rounded the corner just then looking amazing as ever in his white wife beater and tan cargo shorts that hung low on his hips and flip flops on his feet. He stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted me standing there leaned up against the wall with one foot propped against the wall.

"Baby, what's all this?" He asked as he stalked towards me.

I smiled at him and pushed off the wall. "This is all for you, barman. One last amazing rendezvous before we leave this magical place." I told him as I crooked a finger and motioned for him to come towards me as I walked towards him. We met in the middle and collided together in a mass of arms and lips. He ran his hands down my sides towards my stomach parting the split in the middle of my lingerie. He groaned when he encountered my bare stomach.

"Oh God, Isabella, you are so beautiful baby." He said as he pulled on the string that held the 2 halves of the front together. They fell apart, just catching on my hardened nipples. He pulled back and tenderly removed the outfit from me and it pooled on the ground around my feet. He leaned down and latched onto my nipple, sucking it deep in his mouth causing me to groan out loud.

"Please, make love to me, Edward. I need you like I've never needed anything before." I begged him.

He stood up and the look in his eyes said all I needed to know. He was going to make me his in every way possible and I couldn't wait.

Almost an hour later, I was a panting sweating lump of quivering arms and legs. I had lost track of all the times he had made me cum. Our sheets beneath our heaving quivering bodies were soaked both from our sweat but also from me. I didn't know if it was the pregnancy or just my amazing husband but he had caused me to squirt not once or twice but three times and my body was still a mass of nerve endings.

Edward reached over me towards the nightstand for his ringing phone and I hissed when his arm scraped across my tingling nipples. He immediately jerked back afraid that he had hurt me in some way. "You okay there, baby?"

I shook my head but smiled at him. "I'm fine, just please don't touch me right now. I don't think I can handle anything more right now." I told him as I rolled my head to look at him cheekily.

He smiled and kissed his fingertips and blew me a kiss. I chuckled and playfully caught it. "Can you hand me my phone then?" He asked as he propped up against the headboard of our bed.

I snatched his phone off the nightstand and tossed it to him before I curled up and began dozing off to him talking quietly to Em on the phone.

EPOV

I unlocked my phone and saw that I had a missed call from Seth and I was immediately concerned. I called him back and he answered on the first ring. "Edward, we have a problem." He said as soon as he answered.

"What's going on Seth? We're leaving in a few hours to head that way." I told him as I crawled from the bed so Bella could finish her nap.

"Someone vandalized the outside of the club sometime this morning." He told me urgently.

I groaned and dragged my free hand through my hair and tugged on it gently. "Have you called the police?"

"No, they called me because someone reported a tall guy vandalizing the building. There is no way that we can get the spray paint scrubbed off by opening tonight. What do you want me to do?" He asked in frustration.

I groaned in frustration as I sat down on the edge of a lounge chair out on the lanai. "What time is it there?"

"Almost 10 in the morning. What are you thinking?" He asked.

I sighed and stared out at the ocean that we would be leaving in just a few short hours. "I am thinking that you are going to call Raul and his crew and offer to pay them triple their normal fees and get the outside of our building painted before seven tonight. Don't forget to put up signs about wet paint. I don't need a shitload of dry cleaning bills like last time." I told him calmly.

"Alright, I will get right on that." He said in relief.

"Do the police have any leads yet?"

"Yeah, you know the beer delivery guy, James Murphy? He is the one on the video cameras that you had installed last year." Seth informed me.

"Son of a bitch, I knew there was something fishy about that asshole. He was showing up all different days of the week and at all hours. He was scoping out the place, I bet. We will be home tomorrow; I will call you when I get back." I told him as we hung up.

I hung my head, shaking at the new turn of events. I was all in my head when I felt Bella's arms wrap around my waist from behind. "Everything okay, Edward?" She asked as she sat down behind me, straddling my hips and tugging me back into her.

I shook my head as I fought against her tugging arms. "Baby, I don't want to squish you." I told her and she just laughed.

"You're not gonna squish me, babe, please lean back into me and tell me what's wrong." She begged me still tugging on my arms.

I gingerly leaned back into her as she wrapped her arms and legs around me, essentially wrapping me in a Bella burrito. "The club got vandalized this morning. Seth called just as you were passing out earlier." I chuckled.

"What's gonna happen with the club? Tonight is a big night for it." She said softly.

I nodded. "It's still early enough there that hopefully we can get it painted before tonight and Seth and Tanya can still open right on time. I just hope they remember to put up the wet paint signs this time." I laughed as I remembered last time we had to paint the outside of our building.

"This time? Has something like this happened before?" She asked inquisitively.

"Yeah, about a year ago some local vandals trashed the outside of the building. That is when I installed all the security cameras and put up the coded gates for the back and upped the security system." I took a deep breath. "They know who did it; he was caught on camera and by the police a few blocks away. Remember that James guy I have been complaining about?"

I felt her nod against my shoulder.

"It was him that done this, apparently he has been scoping out the place while 'delivering my orders'." I said as I did air quotes around 'delivering my orders' because in reality it was a big ass joke. On me.

"Wanna take one last walk on the beach with me, love?" I asked my lovely wife after a few quiet minutes.

I felt her nod against my shoulder and loosen her grip on me so I could stand up. We walked hand in hand up the beach a little ways before heading back to grab our bags and head to the airport so we could head home.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

EPOV

We were officially back on the mainland and over halfway through our flights back home. We were hanging out in the Denver, CO airport for our hour and a half layover before making the last trek of our trip to land in Houston by noon. It seemed crazy to have to fly so far north just to fly back south again but that is just the way things worked out. Bella was currently conked out in my lap. Flying and her being pregnant were obviously not a good combination. She had been feeling very sickly ever since we left Hawaii but had only nibbled on food and been drinking sprite diligently so as to not upchuck and so far it had worked.

She looked amazing in her Victoria's Secret yoga pants/jacket combo. The stark white of the outfit contrasted nicely to the tan that she had acquired over the past week but she said its main purpose was for comfort. I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard our boarding call announced over the intercom system. I kissed Bella gently on the forehead to wake her up so we could go get on our plane and go home.

*****Link to Bella's outfit at bottom******

"Baby, come on, it's time to go home." She groaned and wearily dragged herself from my lap.

"I am not flying again for as long as I live. This shit is for the birds, not humans." She complained as she grabbed my hand and we headed towards the boarding ramp.

I just chuckled and followed along beside her. "We can drive when we visit Forks and Chicago this summer." I told her as we handed over out boarding passes.

She nodded and smiled up at me. "A road trip and me five months or so pregnant. Sounds like fun." She snorted as she made her way back to our seat and flopped down in the seat by the window.

"We don't have to go this summer, baby. We could always wait until after the baby is born to tackle our demons." I told her after I had stowed our bags in the overhead compartments.

She shook our head. "Nope, this baby is not derailing our plans, husband. I will deal with a long ass car ride to Forks and then again to Chicago." She said smiling at me.

I nodded and kissed the top of her head. "Sounds like a plan, love."

We settled in for the last little bit of our trip home.

BPOV

When we pulled into my driveway, all of our friends practically accosted us as they spilled out of our house. I smiled to myself as I thought about the fact that we were actually married and living together when we weren't even so much as engaged when we left here 9 days ago.

"Hey, we are exhausted. Can we at least go in the house and explain everything to everybody?" Edward griped as he climbed from the driver's seat of his Volvo.

"No." Rosie smiled and told him as she jumped up and wrapped her arms and legs around his body and he had no choice but to hold on to her. "Congratulations double time over, buddy." She said as she hugged him tightly before jumping down.

"Thanks, Rosie. It means the world to me that you are okay with all of this." He told her as he wrapped and arm around her shoulder and tugged her to his side before making his way to my side where I had locked the door on Alice, Angela, Bree, Emmett, and Jasper. "Guys, give my wife some breathing room. Geez take a hint." I heard him say as he pushed through all of them.

They all just laughed but took a step back as I unlocked the door and climbed wearily from the car. "Hi, guys." I told them all with a smile and the girls were shoved out of the way as Emmett picked me up and swung me around.

"Hey, Baby Bells!" He said gleefully as he spun me around.

I clamped onto his shoulder and buried my head in his shoulder. "As much as I love you big guy, I'm about to puke down your back if you don't put me down." I whispered into his ear which caused him to stop immediately and push me away from him.

I smiled up at him. "Hi, Em. Nice to see you again." I told him as I patted him on the cheek, causing him to grin at me.

"Nice to see you too, Baby B." The big oaf said before leaning over and ruffling my hair.

I was then dragged away by all of the girls, well everyone except Bree who followed along begrudgingly as they led me into the house.

I tugged them all to a stop. "Guys, as much as I would love to chat and tell you all of the juicy details of my honeymoon, do you think you could give Bree and I a minute to chat?" I asked them and they all nodded before disappearing. I looked at Bree who stood there with a weird look on her face. "Bree Bree, come on. Let's go out back and talk." I told her as I grabbed her hand and went outside.

She never said a word until we were sat down in my Adirondack chairs, and then she uttered one word. "Happy?"

I smiled at her and nodded quickly. "More than I ever thought possible, BB. If you would have asked me six months ago if I thought this was possible I would have told you that it was more likely for me to sleep with you than to be this happy. But I was wrong. I love him, Bree, more than anything in the world." I told her and then thought about our child growing inside me. "Well except for maybe our baby, but I wouldn't have it without my love for its daddy."

She nodded and held out her hand towards me and I clasped it in mine. "I'm happy, if you're happy. I was just worried that maybe you were rushing into all of this but I see that you are immensely happy together and he would give his right arm for you. Besides, I met someone this week at Edward's club." She told me as we settled down for a leisurely afternoon friendly chat.

Our chat ended up turning into a family BBQ when everybody started hunting for us. It was the perfect way to be welcomed back home.

Over the next few weeks, we settled into a rather normal routine as things in our lives both settled down in some aspects, but became more hectic in other aspects. We had decided to keep my house even when we moved to College Station come August and that we would just buy another house there as well as space for the new club. We found out that the baby was due around the first week of November, but the doctor wasn't certain I would make it that far with my small stature. Tanya and her longtime boyfriend had moved into Edward's condo and was training to run the club once Edward moved. Seth was originally offered the opportunity but he had turned it town saying that he was going be taking classes during the day come fall. He had agreed to help Tanya and still be second in command whenever she needed something, but he didn't want to manage the entire club.

I guess the biggest shocker to me was when Jane had showed back up after spring break with a heartfelt apology to me and actually began putting forth the effort. Alec would just smile at me before ducking his head whenever I would look at him questioningly about her actions.

We had also celebrated a milestone in our lives, little Lillian Joy had celbrated her very 1st birthday. We had celebrated by throwing a huge party at George and Margaret's house and taking the cars out for a spin with the tops down.

Edward and I were now sitting in the doctor's office waiting for our monthly appointment. Right now I had to come every four weeks and this was my second appointment with Dr. Gerandy. We were excited because he was going to do another ultrasound today. Dr. Gerandy had told Edward that ultrasounds at every appointment were considered normal and could get pretty expensive, but he said he wanted proof that his child was growing normally and wanted to document our pregnancy and that money was not an issue. So here we sat, waiting on Dr. Gerandy to come in to the exam room

I had gotten a nice little basketball going on underneath my clothes lately and had relented to a shopping trip with the girls for maternity clothes.

"Edward, would you please stop pacing and sit your ass down." I griped at him as I watched him pass me for about the millionth time in the 15 minutes we had been back in the exam room.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm excited to see the munchkin again. Did you know he is the size of a shrimp this week?" Edward asked excitedly as he came to a stop in front of my naked legs as I was sitting on the exam table in the paper gown waiting for examination.

I laughed and shook my head 'no' at him. He had been diligent about reading every baby book and surfing every baby website there was in all of his free time. And he had a lot of free time now since Tanya had taken to basically running Breaking Dawn so Edward could concentrate on developing Truth or Dare, the name of the new club.

"I did not know that, barman. Kind of odd though, but at least we know she's growing since I'm constantly getting bigger." I told him as I leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.

He stepped further between my legs and I wrapped them around his hips as I slanted my lips against his, deepening the kiss. A knock on the door interrupted us, but we didn't pull apart fast enough as Dr. Gerandy came strolling in the door. "You know, this is what got you guys in this situation in the first place." He said as he came in and sat his chart down.

We both chuckled because we had gotten busted last time too. "Sorry, doc." We both mumbled and turned to face him.

"Bella, you have grown quite a bit since I saw you last time, are you doing anything differently?" He asked as he motioned for me to lie down.

"No sir, I can barely keep anything down so I snack a lot during the day, but nothing more than usual." I told the doctor honestly.

"Okay, well let's get you measured and checked out and then we will have a look see at the baby." He told me as he snapped on his gloves.

I took a deep breath and put my feet in the stirrups to get this part of the exam over with.

After I was redressed, Dr. Gerandy measured my stomach and said that I must be carrying a big baby because I was measuring at 16 weeks and I was barely over 13 weeks pregnant according to the last ultrasound.

"You guys ready to see the big little one again?" Dr. Gerandy asked as he opened the door and a nurse rolled in with a portable ultrasound machine.

We both nodded as he squirted some cold gel onto my stomach causing me to flinch. "Damn it that's cold, doc." I cringed as he grabbed the wand to press into my stomach.

"Sorry, Bella. You ready?" He asked and I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before nodding.

"Sure thing doc, let's do this damn thing already. I want to see my little one." I told him as I gripped Edward's hand as the sound of our baby's heartbeat filled the room.

It sounded kind of funny to me. I fixed my eyes on the screen and gripped Edward's hand tightly into mine. "Hmm…this explains a lot." Dr. Gerandy said as he hit a bunch of buttons on the computer and pulled up a fuzzy image that I couldn't really make out.

"What explains what?" Edward asked urgently, getting a little pissed off because we didn't know what the hell was going on.

Dr. Gerandy looked up at us with a weird look on his face. "You baby is actually…"

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**Another cliff hanger...shame on me!**

**Link to Bella's seduction outfit...** victoriassecret (.com)

/sleepwear/babydolls-and-slips/eyelet-babydoll-angel-fantasies?ProductID=90863&CatalogueType=OLS

**Link to Bella's flying home outfit...** victoriassecret (.com)

clothing/yoga-and-lounge/graphic-fleece-boyfriend-pant-supermodel-essentials?ProductID=100249&CatalogueType=OLS

**What do you think is wrong with the baby? **

**Leave me a review and lemme know what you think!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyers owns everything Twilight, not I.**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I won't keep you from it.**

* * *

Chapter 14

Thursday, May 3, 2012

BPOV

I was currently standing in the closet debating on what to wear. I had given up weeks ago on trying to conceal my pregnancy; there was no hiding that basketball. I was still floating on cloud nine because we had found out yesterday that we wouldn't be having just one baby, we were going to be having two for the price of one. I was pregnant with twins.

I glared at the clothes that I could fit into just a few weeks ago but could no longer get over my stomach. I yanked down my new light blue/white thick striped v-neck tunic top that tied gently above my bump along with a pair of my maternity jeans and walked back into the bedroom.

Edward was lounging in the bed propped up against the headboard with his laptop open on his lap. "Working already, barman?" I asked him as I tossed my clothes on the bed.

He groaned. "I don't remember opening a club to be this complicated." He complained as he shut the lid of the computer to watch me get dressed for school.

"What's wrong?" I asked him as I pulled a pair of panties and a bra from my drawer and tossed them on top of my other clothes.

"I can't seem to find a building big enough to accommodate the kind of crowds I'm anticipating for a college town. I want to avoid the long wait lines like we have here." He told me as he folded his arms behind his head, preparing to enjoy the show I was about to give him.

"Why don't you make a trip down there before school is out and scope out the place?" I asked him as I grabbed my lotion off my nightstand and went to his side of the bed.

He took the bottle of cocoa butter from me and threw off the blankets as I took the computer and sat it on his nightstand. "I may do that, baby. Did you know this has become a favorite morning ritual for me?" He asked me as he helped me straddle his thighs.

I shook my head as I flung off my towel and sat there unabashedly naked as the day I was born. "I didn't know that but I am glad that I get to share all of this with you." I told him as he began rubbing the lotion into the stretched skin of my stomach.

I moaned when he touched my breasts in his rubbing. "Those need some too?" He asked with a wicked grin on his face.

I rolled my eyes and decided to indulge him. "Sure, you ask every morning and every night; just know that I don't have a whole lot of time before I have to be at school." I told him as I let him massage my body down in the cocoa butter.

I groaned and ground my hips into his as he massaged and tweaked my nipples in his smooth palms. "Edward…"

He leaned forward and sucked a nipple deep in his mouth causing me to gasp and grip his hair in my hands. I wasn't sure whether I was trying to tug him closer or push him away from me. I felt his hardness twitch beneath my wetness and rotated until I felt him slip through my wetness. I rose up slightly before slamming back down, effectively slamming him deep inside my wetness.

This was why I didn't wait until the last minute to get up anymore and why normally I made him avoid my breasts at all costs since they were so sensitive now that I was pregnant.

Needless to say, I was just walking into my classroom as the bell was ringing and I had the telltale blush gracing my cheeks.

This was our last day of classes and all of us were feeling the anxiousness for summer to begin. "Mrs. B, how did your doctors' appointment turn out yesterday?" Alec asked just as the second bell rang.

I chuckled as I remembered our shock from yesterday. "It went great, Alec. Thanks for asking. We actually found out that we are expecting twins around Halloween." I told my class as they settled down and cleared their desks as they prepared to take their final test of the semester.

I heard a chorus of 'congratulations' and 'good lucks' from my students as I passed out the tests, all the same one this time. So much had changed in just a few short months.

My back was killing me by the time my final class rolled around so I had my students come and get their own tests before going back to their seats. After the last student had turned in his test I stood up to address them since they were graduating next week and I wouldn't see them anymore after today.

"Okay guys, I know that this has been a tough year, but I feel confident that you all passed with flying colors and I just want you all to know that I am extremely proud of you.." I told them and had to pause as I suddenly became choked up. I took a deep breath before continuing. "I couldn't be more proud of you and I wish each and every one of you the best of luck on your journey into adulthood. I will personally email each and every one of you your final grades by Saturday. I can grade tests while I'm sitting down." I told them and they all laughed because it had become sort of common to find me sitting down in this class as I taught from my desk at the front of the room. "Go on, get out of here and enjoy life. Be safe and smart in all of your decisions and journey's." I told them as they all came to give me a hug before leaving my classroom for the last time.

I sat down at my desk and stuffed all of my paperwork into my bag and packed what few belongings I had into the box that sat beside my desk. I would not be coming back to this school after today and I was kind of sad over it.

"Mrs. C? Can I speak to you for a minute?" I heard from the doorway of my classroom. I tensed my spine a little bit just from past encounters with that voice.

I turned and faced my student as they stood in the doorway. "Sure, Jane, come on in." I told her as I hopped up on my desk so I could get off of my feet for a few minutes. "What did you want to talk about?" I asked her when stood fidgeting beside my desk.

"I just wanted to apologize again for treating you so horribly the first half of the year. You didn't deserve any of that and I am truly sorry for my actions." She said as she twisted her hands together nervously.

"Apology accepted sweetheart. But if you don't mind me asking, what brought about this change?" I asked her curiously.

She dropped her head ashamed. "My parents threatened to cut me off and kick me out if I didn't graduate this year." She admitted shyly.

I shook my head. "Just think, Jane, you could have passed my class with an A if you would have tried earlier on in the semester. Your work since spring break has been amazing and insightful. You can do anything you want with a head like yours." I told her encouragingly.

"Thank you. Do you need help carrying out your box?" She asked as she eyed my box.

Before I could respond to her there was a knock on the doorframe that alerted us to another visitor. I smiled when I saw who it was and I think Jane shuddered at his handsomeness.

EPOV

I decided to surprise Bella at school today. It was her last day for a little while. When I walked into her school, I was bombarded by students as they rushed out the doors, itching to get out of school. I stopped a young guy and asked him where Mrs. Cullen's English classroom was.

"Yeah, Mrs. C's class is down this hall, take a left at the third doorway, then climb the stairs, take a right at the top then another left at the second hallway, then her room is the third door on the right." He told me, then laughed at the expression on my face.

"Um...okay." I told him and scratched at my chin.

"Never mind, come on I will show you the way. My name is Alec by the way, you must be Mr. Edward." He said as he stuck a hand out towards me.

I chuckled and shook his hand. "It is nice to meet you Alec, Bella has told me a lot about you." I told him as we turned and began the trek up to her room.

I groaned when we got just outside her door, no wander she was exhausted every afternoon when she came home from school if she had to walk all that every day. "Thank you, Alec, but I can handle it from here." I told him and patted him on the back as he nodded and walked away.

I stepped into the doorway and noticed my love sitting on top of her desk swinging her feet back and forth rubbing her stomach talking to one of her students, so I stopped and knocked on the doorframe catching both of their attentions.

"Am I interrupting anything?" I asked them quietly and they both shook their heads 'no'.

"Jane, this is my husband that I told you guys about, Mr. Edward. Edward this is Miss Jane Volturi." My lovely wife made the introductions and waved me into her classroom. I walked over to her desk and shook the hand that Jane had held out to me.

"It's a pleasure to meet you finally, Mr. Edward." Jane said quietly.

"It's nice to meet you too, Jane." I told her as I shook her hand quickly and dropped it making my way on over to Bella's side. "Hi, love. I was just coming to pick you up for your last day of school." I told her as I kissed her on top of her head and rested my hand on her stomach.

"Thanks, barman." She said flashing a smile my way before addressing Jane. "Jane, I wish you the best of luck in the future; like I said earlier you can do whatever you set your amazing mind to." Bella told her and Jane nodded before turning and making her way out of the building.

"Rough day, love?" I asked her when she sighed heavily against me.

She nodded before scooting off her desk to stand in front of me. "Yes, but I am officially free. Since I taught all senior classes, I am finished for the year. All I have to do is grade the final semester tests and turn them all in before we leave for Forks." She explained to me as I grabbed her messenger bag and the box of her stuff.

"That's great, Bella. I have news to share too." I told her as we began to walk out of her classroom.

"What's that, barman?" She asked as she led me down a different hallway. "There's a teacher's elevator down this way, off limits to students because of crowding issues." She explained to why we were going a different way.

"I am going to be leaving in a few hours to head to College Station and I am going to stay through until Monday afternoon. I have a meeting with the city council member's tomorrow afternoon and the fire marshal on Monday. Em, Jazz, and I are going to scope out possible places and the existing nightlife this weekend." I told her quickly as we boarded the small elevator.

"Great!" She told me quickly. "I'm glad you're not goin' alone. I will call Rosie and see if she wants to have a girl's weekend at her place this weekend." She told me as the elevator descended to the first floor.

"You don't have to call her; she was planning on coming to kidnap you tonight when she drops Em off at our place." I told her as we walked out to the parking lot. I followed behind her since I didn't have any way home since Alice had dropped me off so I could ride home with my lovely wife.

"Sounds like a plan. Are you riding' with me, handsome?" She asked as she fished her keys out of her messenger bag side pocket.

"Yes, ma'am."

About 2 hours later, Bella and I were cuddled up on the couch with take-out Chinese containers in our hands and The Notebook playing on the TV when Rose and Em walked through the front door.

"Don't you ever knock, you idiot?" I questioned Emmett when he collapsed on the chair opposite our couch.

"Nope, not when you're expecting' me! Are you ready to hit the road? It's getting' late and we still gotta pick Jazz up." Emmett asked as Rose came in rolling a suitcase behind her.

"You big ass oaf, leave my suitcase outside, why don't you!" Rose griped at him as she sat down in the other chair.

"Sorry, Rosie. I love you." He told her softly.

"No shit, Sherlock!" She said as she crossed both her arms and legs and continued to glare at him. Her stomach was even more pronounced than mine and she was only carrying one baby.

"What's with the suitcase, Rosie?" My Bella asked her.

She huffed an annoyed glance at Emmett before answering Bella. "My oaf here sent all our kids to his parent's house for the duration of their time away and I figured that you had tests that needed grading, so I am invading your house instead of you invading mine. Alice is going to join us in a few hours." Rose explained.

"That's sounds like a fantastic plan, Rosie. Plus we are closer to town if anything happens." Bella said.

Edward kissed me on the cheek before he disentangled us. "We really do need to hit the road, baby." I told her quietly.

"Okay, Edward. Be safe and call me when you get to the hotel." She told me as she sat up on the sofa, with my help since she was a little off center these days.

"I will, love. I love you." I told her before I bent down and kissed her stomach whispering to our babies. "I love you guys too. Be good for your mama but don't you move until I get back. You hear me?"

Bella, Rose, and Em all laughed at my silliness. I turned to glare at them. "Hey, this is the first time I'm going to be separated from my wife and kids overnight. Cut me a break. Emmett, I remember the first time you had to leave Rosie and Skye." Edward threatened Emmett which caused him to 'zip' his lips shut and Rose to bust out laughing.

An hour later, we girls were sitting around chowing down on ice cream, watching Titanic when I got a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. I tried to ignore it but it seemed to be persistent and obviously I wasn't the only one feeling it.

Alice stood up and began pacing. "Something isn't right, you guys. I have a bad feeling." Rosalie, obviously having experienced this before snatched up her phone dialed Emmett's phone which went straight to voicemail. "No answer, Ali. You guys try." She begged with tears in her eyes.

"What is going on, y'all? Y'all are scaring me shitless over here." I told them as I wrapped my arms around my babies and began whimpering at the feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Rosalie scooted over and wrapped her arms around me. "Ali has this sick sort of way of predicting when something bad has happened to our guys. She's never been wrong. Never." Rosalie told me as she kept repeatedly dialing Emmett's phone.

I began bawling in earnest then until Alice screamed out. "OH JAZZY!" before she collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Rose and I scrambled off the couch and to her side as quickly as our pregnant bellies would allow us to. "Ali, what's wrong sweetheart? Wake up and talk to me." Rose whispered to Alice as she repeatedly slapped Alice on the cheeks.

I heard Jasper screaming through Alice's phone. "Mary Alice! Talk to me, baby! Please!" I picked up the phone and put it to my ear.

"Jasper what's wrong? Alice fainted." I whispered into the phone.

He went silent which made me even that much more worried. "Jazz, what's going on? Please tell me!" I pleaded with him.

"Bells I'm so sorry. I tried to miss it. I promise I tried." He cried into the phone.

I crumbled onto the floor as tears poured down my cheeks but I kept a grip on Alice's phone. "Jasper, please just tell me what's going on. I'm begging you, please tell me something." I begged him quietly as I saw Rose sit a teary eyed Alice up against one of my chairs.

I gathered a few things between Jaspers gasps and cries. "Tried to miss" "couldn't avoid it" "on our way to hospital" "Edward and Em's hurt" "Volvo totaled" before the line crackled and dropped the call.

"Oh my God!" I cried as I curled into a ball on the floor as the reality of the situation settled in that my husband and friends had been in a car wreck and were on their way to the hospital and that Em and Edward were hurt badly.

"Bella, you gotta breathe, baby. Think of the babies, you gotta take deep breaths and calm yourself down before we end up in the hospital ourselves." Rosalie told me as she stroked my hair calmly in a motherly touch.

I cried a little more before doing just as she instructed. "Rosie, they're hurt. Em and Edward are hurt." I cried to her and she just tugged me into her side.

"I know sweetheart, as soon as we know a little more we will go to them." She told me softly.

We all settled back onto the couch, curled together in a tangle of arms and legs while Alice diligently dialed Jaspers number. It was almost 20 minutes later before he finally picked up again.

"Oh Jazzy, how are they? Where are they? How bad is it? Are you okay? What happened?" Alice fired at him as soon as he answered the phone. She had him on speakerphone so we heard him as he growled out for her to calm down.

"Mary Alice, how in the hell am I supposed to answer your questions if you don't give me time to?" He barked at her.

She smiled and took a deep calming breath while he answered what he could. "I was driving and a deer jumped out in front of us and I swerved trying to miss it. The roads are slick up here because it rained today and I lost traction and ultimately flipped the Volvo several times and smacked a tree. Hard." He told us before taking a deep breath.

The feeling in my stomach got only worse. "Jasper, this isn't your fault. Please just tell us how bad they are." I begged him quietly as Rose squeezed my shoulders in support.

"Edward took the brunt of it since he didn't have his seatbelt on and was in the backseat. I'm sorry Bella, God, I'm so sorry Baby Bell."

"Jasper Nathanial Whitlock, you listen to me good." I told him in my teacher's voice.

"Yes ma'am." He said in his southern charm.

"This is not your fault, at all. I just need you to tell me if he's still alive and where you guys are at so we can come to you." I told him firmly.

"They are both alive. Em has a broken arm and a broken leg where we smacked the tree. Edward was unconscious and is all banged up. We are at College Station Medical Center. You ladies, please get Angela or Bree or someone to drive you up here and please be careful and don't go Highway 6." He informed us.

We all agreed and quickly got our shit together while we waited on Bree and Angela both to show up and transport us to CSMC to be with our husbands/fiancée.

Three hours after that horrific phone call from Jasper, all of us women were walking into the lobby of CSMC and were a force to be reckoned with.

We approached the front desk and a bubble gum popping blonde haired candy striper sat there playing on her iPhone. "Excuse me, but I need to be directed to wherever Emmett McCarty is." Rose told her as she rubbed her baby bump in soothing motions.

The girl just rolled her eyes before putting down her phone and punching a few buttons on the computer screen. "He's not in our system." She said as she popped a bubble and picked her phone back up.

I could practically feel Rosalie seething beside me and I laid a calming hand on her shoulder. "Excuse me, Lauren, is it?" She nodded so I continued. "My friend's husband along with mine came in about three hours ago from a bad accident out on Highway 6. Could you please look again to see if he is in there?" I asked her nicely.

She rolled her eyes again. "Look lady, I done told your friend that he's not in here. Obviously she's just looking for someone to take the responsibility of her brat." She said with a final eye roll.

Before any of us could react, Bree had reached across the counter and gripped the front of Lauren's uniform and was whispering something into her ear that none of us could make out. But by the sight of Lauren's trembling lower lip and bulging eyes, I was gonna take a gamble and say that we didn't necessarily want to know.

When Bree released Lauren she tapped quickly on the computer. "Mr. McCarty is in surgery to repair the multiple fractures in his right leg. Mr. Cullen is in surgery also. You can go wait in the surgical waiting room and their doctors will be notified of your arrival and will be out shortly to speak to you on your husband's statuses. Mr. Whitlock is currently in the ER getting a few stitches. Ladies, good luck and god bless." She stammered out before darting around the desk and down the hall.

Rose and I looked at Bree in astonishment. She just shrugged her shoulders in indifference, "I just threatened to reach up her vajayjay so far that her natural hair color would have no choice but to make an appearance."

We all just chuckled. "Guys, I'm gonna go find Jazzy and as soon as he's fixed we will come find you." Alice said as she hugged both of us tightly.

Rose, Angela, Bree, and I made our way up to the surgical waiting room and began the long wait on the surgeons to come out. After almost an hour of waiting, a doctor came out wearing green scrubs and pulled a surgical cap off his head. "McCarty family?" He asked loudly.

We all stood up and we all gripped Rose's hands in ours. "I'm his wife, Rosalie McCarty." She said as the doctor approached us and we all sat down.

"It's nice to meet you, Rosalie. Mr. McCarty was worried about his girls before we put him under. My name is Dr. Paul Whitewolf and I am the one that repaired your husband's leg. He broke both his tibia and fibula as well as his ulna. I had to put a couple of screws and plates in his leg and he will need therapy once the cast come off. He was very fortunate. He also has three broken ribs on his right side as well as a cut behind his ear where the window shattered." The doctor told us and we all heaved a sigh of relief that the big oaf was going to be okay, a little grumpy, but okay.

"How long until I can see him?" Rose asked quietly.

"He's in recovery now, he should be moved to a regular room within the hour and then you can all go see him." He said as he stood up to leave.

"Thank you, Doc." We all said to him and he nodded to us as he left.

We all sat back down, I turned to Rose and cupped her face. "He's okay, Rosie. I'm so glad he's okay." I told her before collapsing onto her shoulder.

"Edward's gonna be okay too, B!" She reassured me.

An hour later, Rose was visiting Emmett in his room as Angela, Bree, and I sat waiting patiently on Edward's doctor to come out and see us.

"Bella!" I heard Jasper practically yell from the doorway.

I jumped to my feet and went to his and Alice's side. I collapsed as soon as he wrapped his arms around me.

Just as Jasper wrapped his arms around me I heard a doctor holler out "Cullen family?" from the other side of the waiting room.

"Come on, B! That's us." Alice said as she tugged on me and Jasper.

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**Please don't kill me for stopping it here. Leave me a review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**For all of those that are still reading you can breathe a sigh of relief now! Road trip ahead! Forks here we come!**

**Tissue warning for the last half of this chapter.**

**Okay, I have not forgotten to post, it has been storming in Southern Arkansas which means no internet for me. But alas, here it is. **

**I hope it doesn't disappoint.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyers owns Twilight, not I.**

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Chapter 15

Jasper, Alice and I made our way over to our other friends to hear what was wrong with my husband. The thought of something life threatening being wrong with him had me sick to my stomach.

After the doctor disappeared, we all collapsed back into our chairs in relief. Edward had really only suffered minor injuries compared to what could have happened. He only suffered from a collapsed lung, a broken arm, and several broken/cracked ribs. I say only suffered, because it could have been a lot worse according to his doctors. He also had minor swelling on the brain from being tumbled around in the backseat of his Volvo.

Later that night as I sat huddled in the bed beside him, at his persistence, we saw photos of the accident for the first time as we watched the late night news. I cringed when I saw pictures of our previously pristine Volvo flash across the television screen. "I'm so grateful that none of you girls came with us." He whispered into my hair.

I nodded against his chest gently. "Me too, but you scared the heebie-jeebies out of me tonight, Edward Anthony. I can't handle any more of this." I cried into his chest gently.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

EPOV

It has been four weeks since that horrific night of our accident and Bella's mothering tendencies had definitely came out in full force since that night. Today was a big day for us as we were going to find out the sex of our two babies and I was going to get an 'okay to travel' order from my doctor so that we could travel to Forks for a month before travelling on to Chicago for a little bit before finally coming home and settling into our new home in College Station.

In the past month, we had been busy. We had found the perfect location for the new club, Truth or Dare, as well as a place to live.

"You ready, husband?" Bella asked as she slowly ambled in from the kitchen. Her bump could no longer be described as a basketball because she had almost doubled in size in the past month. We were hoping to make it to at least the first few weeks of October, but I had my doubts about that.

"I'm ready. Can I please drive?" I begged as I held open the front door for her.

She shook her head. "Nope, it's not safe to drive with only one hand." She said like she usually did when I asked to do something.

"Fine, but I hope the doctor clears me for driving today, otherwise we are flying to Forks and Chicago." I told her as I ran ahead of her and opened the door to our new SUV for her.

She just rolled her eyes and eased into the new SUV that we had just bought two weeks ago. "Whatever, husband."

I had spent the first five days after the accident in the hospital because I had trouble taking deep breaths due to my collapsed lung and broken ribs and the doctors were worried about pneumonia setting in. We had my doctor's appointment first and then Bella's checkup and ultrasound afterwards.

We got a great report at my doctor's appointment and much to Bella's chagrin, I was told that it was perfectly okay for me to drive since I had full range of motion with my ribs now. I slid behind the steering wheel as Bella scowled at me from the passenger seat. "Are you happy now, Edward?"

I smiled and nodded. "I am, love. I love having you take care of me, but I am ready to be able to take care of you and our babies." I told her as I leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips and rubbed a hand across her stomach where our babies rested. "I love you, Isabella, and I love you guys, too." I told all three of my loves.

Bella just rolled her eyes and we fastened our seatbelts before we made the trek across town to the OB/GYN office. We both wore shit eating smiles when we left a little over an hour later. I guess I had something Emmett didn't, because not only was I getting a boy, I was getting two boys. At least according to the doctor and ultrasound tech, we were having rather large boys who were growing right on schedule.

"Are you ready for our road trip now, Bella?" I asked her as we drove home from our appointments.

"I am, Edward. I am eager to get there and show you some of my old stomping grounds and also to make new memories for us. I hope once the babies get old enough we will be able to take them up there and introduce them to my parents." She said as she ran a hand over her stomach gently.

"Sounds perfect. Do you want to leave today or in the morning?" I asked her. It was only 11 o'clock and there was nothing pressing keeping us here and we had made arrangements for our follow up appointments that we were going to be out of town for. I had to have my cast removed in two more weeks and Bella was now having two week check-ups and would need to see a doctor twice in both Forks and Chicago. She was none too happy about it either.

"Tonight. I am ready to get away from the meddling pixie and the grumpy oaf you call a best friend." Bella grumbled from the passenger seat.

"Sounds like a plan. I just need to call Seth and Tanya to let them know as well as all of our friends." I told her.

Two hours after we arrived home from the doctor's appointments, we were back on the road, headed to Forks. We had our cooler full of snacks in the back, pillows, blankets, and our suitcases all loaded into the truck. I planned on driving until I got tired and then we were going to get a hotel room and pick up again tomorrow. It was a little after one o'clock when we left Houston city limits and then we were on our way.

BPOV

We were almost eight hours into our road trip and we have been making pretty good time, even following the doctor's orders. We had to stop every two hours so I could walk around for ten minutes, and I had also managed to only have to use the bathroom during those walk breaks.

"Bella, you okay still?" Edward asked from the passenger seat as he played on his phone.

"I'm fine, Edward. Are we still stopping for the night in Trinidad?" I asked him.

"Yeah, that way we can both sleep for a few hours before travelling all day tomorrow before stopping in Missoula, Montana for the night. We will reach Forks on Saturday around lunch time." He explained to me as he read the itinerary off his phone.

"Sounds like a plan. Do you want to play twenty questions?" I asked him randomly. I was bored and I couldn't very well bury my head in a book while I was driving.

"Sure, you go first though." He told me as he pocketed his phone.

Hmm… what question did I want to ask my husband? There were a lot of little details that I didn't know about him and he didn't know about me, this was a great way to find that little stuff out. "Okay, question number one. What was your best and most dreaded subject in high school?" I asked him as we travelled on down the interstate in the darkness of the night. We still had a few hours to go before we reached Trinidad.

"Damn, that's a good one but should be obvious by my love of numbers. My best subject was math and unfortunately my most dreaded was english." He told me as he thought of his question.

I laughed at his admission but I did already have an inkling of that. "Who would you like to have a closer relationship with?"

"Alive or dead?" I asked him to specify.

"Either, it doesn't matter."

"My mom; we weren't really close when I was growing up and I wish now that we would have had a closer relationship." I answered him honestly.

"What is one attribute of your mother that you see in yourself?" I asked.

"She was great at wanting to build and create things and I think I have a lot of that. She was always envisioning what she could do with our house and I'm the same way." He answered.

"How did your mother and father meet?" He asked.

"I think it was at a bar in Port Angeles." I answered.

"What do you think happens to you when you die?" I asked.

"I don't think anything happens, but it would be nice to believe that your soul lives on." He answered.

"Would you rather be on the cover of Time, People or the American Scholar?" He asked.

"The American Scholar Magazine with the title Teacher of the Year." I answered.

"What would you do with one week to do anything, all expenses paid?" I asked.

"Go to Italy, rent a Ferrari & Ducati and tour the countryside." He answered.

"Do you think you are hard on yourself?" He asked.

"For the most part I am, but the older I get, the less I am. I think I challenge myself more than most people, but being afraid of failing stops me from trying some things." I answered.

"Would you rather be a painter, writer or musician?" I asked.

"Feasibly I would want to be a painter, but being a Musician would be great (guitarist or pianist)." He answered.

"Do you have any phobias?" He asked.

"No, not really. I am just afraid that I am going to lose you, our friends, and our boys." I answered.

"When home alone, do you shut the door when you use the bathroom?" I asked.

"Nope." He answered.

"What is the greatest goal you want to achieve in the next five years?" He asked.

"To have our newest club be self-sufficient, be happy in our marriage, and our kids to be the healthiest and happiest that they can be." I answered.

"We're here, Edward. How do I get to the hotel?" I asked him.

I followed his directions and pulled into the hotel a few minutes later. This is how the next day went as well. We played stupid car games to occupy our time or jammed out to our iPod's. It seemed like in no time at all, we were entering into my childhood domain. As a child I had travelled all the way to Portland and Seattle with my parents, but no further than that except for when I left with Jake all those years ago.

As we boarded the ferry in Seattle to continue our trek on to Forks, I was brought to tears as the memories bombarded me. "What's wrong, love?" Edward asked as he swiped the tear tracks from my cheeks.

I shook my head and smiled at him to let him know that I was really okay. "Nothings' wrong, Edward." I told him quietly as we stood by the railing and looked out over the water.

"Tell me, Bella. Please. Let me live in your memories with you." He begged me.

I took a deep breath. "My daddy used to bring me with him every time he would come to Seattle and he would make a special trip around town just so we could travel on this ferry because I was amazed by it as a young child." I explained to him.

"We can bring our boys on this ferry once they are old enough to understand. This is the first time I've ever been on a ferry, too. It's pretty cool." He told me as he wrapped his arms around me from behind with our hands clasped over our stomach.

I gasped as I felt our boys kick for the very first time. "Edward! Did you feel that?" I asked him quietly as I pushed his hand harder into my stomach.

"I did, love. It seems like our boys want to be a part of this experience, too. It's their very first ferry ride with mama, papa, and Grampy Swan." He said softly as he rubbed the spot where one of our boys kicked.

I hummed and settled in against his chest as we rode the rest of the ferry ride in relative silence.

EPOV

I was blown away by the lush vegetation of the Pacific Northwest, but it was beautiful. Having grown up in Chicago, I was used to lakes and trees, but Chicago had nothing on Forks. As I passed the old wooden sign that said 'The City of Forks Welcomes You' I felt Bella shudder. "Another memory?" I asked her and she nodded before taking a deep breath.

"Yeah, I tried to run away once when I was sixteen and as punishment my dad sent me up here and made me repaint the welcome sign until it was bright, beautiful, and shining brightly." She told me as she laughed at the memory.

"Wow! I can't picture you trying to run away from home." I commented as we drove into town.

She just laughed. "Oh, but I was pissed off at the world then because my dad had told me that I couldn't go to prom with Jake because I had missed curfew over three times." She told me as she chuckled about it. "It took me two damn days to paint that sign. Did you see how tall it is?"

I nodded and continued driving through the small sleepy town when she exclaimed. "Oh my God, I can't believe Newton's is still here! I worked there when I was in high school and Mike's parents were talking about retiring and moving to California somewhere."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I asked her as I turned on my windshield wipers.

"I'm not sure; it depends on who is running it now. I bet Mike's running it, he was pretty pissed when they brought up selling it." She commented as she looked out the window at what used to be her hometown. "Can we stop up here at the diner for lunch before heading to the house?" She asked quietly.

"Sure thing, love." I told her before pulling into the parking lot and turning off the SUV. "You okay?" I asked her as I laced her trembling fingers in mine.

She nodded. "Yeah, it's good to be back; weird but good. My dad and I used to have dinner here at least twice a week to give me a break from cooking and cleaning." She told me softly.

"Are you going to be okay going in here?" I asked her quietly.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, we had some intense conversations in our booth in here. There used to be a sign above the back of the booth that said if it Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday then this booth is reserved for the chief and mini chief." She told me quietly as she wiped a few stray tears away. "I wander if it's still there."

"Only one way to find out, love, and that's to go inside and see." I told her quietly. I was concerned for Bella and the babies with her dealing with all of this, but she was determined and so was I because I knew she wouldn't put our babies in any harm's way.

"Okay, husband, let's do this damn thing." She said as she flipped down her sun-visor to fix her hair and reapply her lip gloss.

I got out of the SUV and made my way around to her side of the truck before opening the door for her and helping her out onto the slick pavement. "Careful, love. We will have to buy you some rain boots and an umbrella while we're here." I told her as we dashed quickly into the diner to avoid getting drenched.

She was laughing hysterically as we walked through the doors of the old diner. "You can tell I'm not used to this weather anymore." She said as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"Bella? Is that you?" asked an older waitress with long black hair with streaks of grey through it.

My girls head snapped up and her spine stiffened until she saw who it was speaking to her. "Sue?" she whispered right before she was enveloped in a huge hug.

I didn't panic because my girl wrapped her arms tight around the woman and they sobbed together for a few quick minutes, catching the attention of the other customers. "Ladies, I hate to break this up but maybe we could sit down before continuing this and Bella you need to eat, love." I gently reminded her as I ran a hand up and down her back gently.

She glared at me playfully before pulling away from the sobbing woman. "Sue, I would like for you to meet my over protective husband, Edward. Edward, this is a good friend of my family, Sue Clearwater. She was like a mother to me when I needed some womanly advice." She explained quickly.

I smiled and extended my hand to Sue who shook it strongly, like a man's grip. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Edward. I am glad that our sweet girl has found some happiness." She told me as she guided us to a corner booth that caused my wife to stop dead in her tracks and tears to pour down her face.

"It's still here." She whispered and I caught her in my arms as her knees gave out from under her. I lowered her to the booth and cradled her face in my hands.

"Bella, I know this is all overwhelming you baby, but you need to calm down and take deep breaths. Think of our boys, breathe deeply for them." I pleaded with her and she followed my instructions and calmed down before just crying silently.

I cradled her against my side as Sue reappeared with a cool wet washcloth. "Here Edward, this should help calm her down." She pressed the washcloth into my hand.

I nodded my thanks and continued whispering sweet nothings in my wife's ear to calm her down. I placed the washcloth against the back of her neck under her hair where she normally placed it herself.

After a few minutes she calmed down enough that we could sit up and talk quietly. "Is it too much, Bella?" I asked her quietly as I toyed with her fingers on the table top.

"I don't know if it's too much, Edward, I just know it's hard. Like I told you outside, this place was special to me and my dad and that sign" she pointed to the sign on the wall beside us "proves to me how special my dad was to this entire town."

"He sounds like a special guy and an amazing father. I hope I can live up to his and my dad's standards." I told her quietly.

We ordered our lunch and I listened to stories of Bella and her father from various other diners who came over to welcome Bella 'home' and to meet the man who got the town sweetheart knocked up.

After what seemed like forever, we were back in our vehicle and headed to her old home. "Edward, this may be too much for me to handle. If anything happens to me, please call Doctor Hank, and he will make house calls." She told me quietly as we pulled onto her street.

"You are going to be fine, love. Just remember to take deep breaths, like we've been doing all day." I told her encouragingly. She nodded but pressed the slip of paper into my hand anyways.

"I will, Edward, I promise." She told me as I pulled into the driveway beside an old police cruiser that now sat on 4 flat tires. "Oh my God!" Bella whispered as she climbed from the vehicle.

I quickly turned it off, pocketing the keys before I scrambled after my lovely pregnant wife as I watched her sink to her knees beside the police cruiser.

"Bella!" I screamed at her as I slid under her head just as it was about to connect with the pavement.

I slapped the sides of her face gently trying to get her to come back to me. "Baby, please wake up! Come on, love, let me see those beautiful brown eyes of yours." I pleaded with her as I ran my hands down her body.

She groaned and leaned into me as she started coming around. "Edward?" She asked groggily as she tried to sit up.

"It's okay, Bella, you fainted." I explained to her as I helped her sit up.

She sat up and just stared at her dad's police car. "I can't believe they left it here, all these years and it's still in the same spot as the morning I left." She whispered quietly.

I didn't say anything but let her work through her memories. "I remember dad and mom standing right here waving goodbye to me as Jake and I headed to the school for graduation." She said quietly as she attempted to stand up.

I chuckled and stood up and offered her my hands so I could help pull her up. Once we were both on our feet we slowly made our way up the sidewalk. "We're both soaking wet." I commented as we reached the front door.

She nodded and tried to reach above the doorframe for what I suspected was a spare key but couldn't quite reach it cause of our boys. "I'll get it, baby, just scoot over." I told her as I ran my hand along the top ledge of the doorframe and found the key. "Does anybody know that key is up there?" I asked as I slid it into the deadbolt.

She nodded and laughed. "Yeah, pretty much the whole town. I was kind of notorious for falling and hurting myself when I was a teenager, so Charlie had a lifeline of people that could come check on me if I didn't answer the phone when he called." She explained as I stepped back and let her do the honors.

She took a deep breath and opened the front door slowly. She didn't move, she just swung the door open and stood there in the doorway with tears falling down her cheeks silently.

"It hurts so much, but it's nice to be back and have the memories resurface. I buried them for so long." She said as she slowly stepped inside the house. "Could you get our bags and just give me a few minutes, Edward?" She asked quietly when I made to follow her.

I nodded, kissed her on top of her head before turning and making my way back to the SUV. I dug out my phone and sent a quick text out to all of our family waiting back in Houston.

We made it. I am standing in front of Bella's childhood home as I type this. She's taking it hard, but okay. I will call you guys later tonight. –Edward

I was bombarded by a multitude of text messages from all of our friends and leaned up against the SUV and replied back to them quickly. I was yanked out of my thoughts when a car pulled to a stop behind our SUV. "Excuse me, did Little Chief come back home?" asked an elderly man in a beat up old pickup truck.

I looked up to face the guy. "If you are referring to Bella, then yes she came back home for a visit. We will be here for about a month, sir. I'm her husband, Edward Cullen." I told him as I walked to the side of his truck and held out my hand for him to shake, which he did.

"It's nice to meet you Edward, I'm Billy Black, Jake's father." He introduced himself. I smiled and before I could say anything else, Bella called out to me from the front door. "Edward!"

I chuckled. "I'm over here, love. You have a visitor." I called back to her and saw as she made her way slowly to my side without looking up; she was paying attention to the ground as she walked. Her hands were wrapped protectively around our boys.

"Who is it?" She asked once she got to my side and gasped when she looked up. "Billy? What are you doing here?" She asked quietly.

"I just wanted to come and check on you, Bells, but I can see that you are doing wonderful." Billy told her as he opened the door and motioned her forward.

Bella walked forward quickly and wrapped her arms around the guy who never moved from the truck. I left them to talk alone while I got our stuff out of the back of our SUV and took it into the house.

I explored around the house while Bella was outside and smiled at the variety of pictures I saw of her childhood. I gasped when I saw a family picture of Bella with her parents. She looked just like them, more so like her father than her mother. I wandered around the house that was stuck in the past six years. The calendar still hung in the kitchen to May of 2006 with a big red heart circled around May 17th, Bella's graduation date.

On the refrigerator was a big sign that said "Congratulations' Bells! Love Mom and Dad!" along with a variety of pictures from Bella's high school years, her prom picture, her with a group of her friends, and finally one of her and her dad holding a string of fish.

I peeked out the living room window and saw Bella propped up against the door of the truck laughing as she moved Billy's hand around her stomach. I smiled and continued my exploring and made my way up the stairs. There were three doors up here, the first one I opened was obviously the master bedroom and I closed it back quickly. The second went to a tiny bathroom, and finally the final door led my wife's childhood room.

I groaned when I saw it was painted purple and had flowers painted all over the walls. I am glad that I had no problems with my masculinity since I was going to be sleeping in this room for the next month. Maybe I could talk her into redecorating for when we came back with the babies. I flopped down on her bed and groaned when a spring poked through the purple comforter and poked me in the back. I groaned and pulled out my phone to send a quick text to Rosie.

If the perpetual rain and my wife's hormones don't kill me, then this bed surely will. –Edward

Suck it up you big baby and go comfort your wife. –Rosalie

Haha, knew I could depend on you for sympathy. Love you Rosie. –Edward

Love you, too. See you soon. –Rosie

I was confused about the 'See you soon' because I wouldn't see any of them for over a month, until they come to Chicago for 4th of July and our birthday parties.

The sight of my beautiful wife standing in the doorway made me forget all about it. "Come here, love." I beckoned to her and scooted over making room for her in her bed.

She laid down but frowned as she wiggled around. "This bed was worn out when I was in high school; it is definitely worn out now. And it stinks." She said as she wrinkled her nose.

I just chuckled. "How does it feel to be back in this house and in this bedroom?" I asked her quietly as I cuddled into her back.

"Weird but okay, like I am closing one chapter of my life but opening up another with you and our boys. I think I want to keep this house and maybe we can come visit occasionally. What do you think about that?" She asked quietly.

"Sounds wonderful, Bella. Absolutely wonderful. I have one request though."

She just chuckled and rolled to face me as best she could. "What's that, Edward? A new bed?" She asked quietly.

I nodded quickly before kissing her lips eagerly. "Sounds good. I was thinking of redecorating and making it more of our own. I loved my parents, especially my dad, but we never had the extra money to buy new furniture and what we had was worn out when I was a teenager." She told me as she laid her head on my chest.

"Sounds like a plan, baby. We can do whatever you want, but how about we rest first?" I asked her quietly.

She didn't say anything but her soft snores and her heavy weight gave me my answer as I settled down for a nap also.

BPOV

The persistent banging on the front door dragged me from my peaceful rest. I groaned as I pulled my tired body off of Edward and my uncomfortable childhood bed and made my way slowly down the stairs. I wrenched open the front door and came face to face with the people I considered my family.

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**My amazing prereader announced some concerns about this trip being for Edward and Bella and I just wanted to let you all know that even though they are there they are not staying for long. Bella just needs a little help dealing in the beginning!**

**Leave me a review and lemme know what you think so far!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Quite a few changes coming up in this chapter, the friends are all in Forks.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyers owns Twilight, not I.**

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Chapter 16

Saturday June 2 , 2012

BPOV

I wrenched open the front door and came face to face with the people I considered my family.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked as I motioned for them to all come in.

"We figured you needed us for support." Rose said as she carried a sleeping Sariah into the living room.

"We could use the vacation, anyways." Alice said as she carried a sleeping Lilly in her arms and Jasper followed carrying a sleeping Tori. I motioned up the stairs.

"Edward is asleep in my room; you guys can go lay Lilly and Tori down with him." I told her as I kissed her cheek and patted Jasper on the shoulder as they passed by me.

Emmett hobbled in on his crutches with a sleepy Skylar, Annabelle, and Maggie trailing behind him. "Hey baby Bell, how you holding up?" He asked as he stepped aside so his girls could go in the house after their momma.

"I'm doing well." I told him as I leaned down to hug each girl in turn. "You girls sleepy?" I asked them and they all nodded.

"I have a big old bed upstairs you can all fit in if you want to go take a nap." I told them and they all nodded eagerly.

I just chuckled, picked up Maggie and started up the stairs just as Alice was coming back down empty handed. "Hey, Ali, can you help Anna, I think she's just about asleep on her feet." I told her as I continued up the stairs.

She picked up Anna and we all went into my mom and dad's room. This is the first time I had opened this door since we got here. "Is this…" She trailed off as she laid Anna down on the bed.

I nodded and placed Maggie in the middle of the bed. "B, why does it smell in here?" Maggie asked as she snuggled into her blanket.

"Cause this is my mama and papa's house and nobody's lived here for a long time. How about I light a candle to help with the smell?" I asked her as I stroked her hair.

She nodded and closed her eyes. "Love you, B." She mumbled as she fell asleep.

"Come on, Sky, crawl on up here sweetheart." I told her as I patted the spot beside her sister.

She hopped up on the bed and looked at me with tears in her eyes. "What's wrong, baby girl?" I asked her as I stroked her face gently.

"Mama told me how your mama and papa are with the angels and how you might be really sad." She explained the best way she knew how.

"Oh sweetheart, it's okay. It's nice to have a full house to help me deal with everything. Now crawl in here and take a quick nap." I asked them as she snuggled in beside her sister.

"I love you, B." She said as her eyelids slid shut.

"Bella, are you really okay?" Alice asked as she stood from the bed.

I nodded and went to her outstretched arms. "I will be, Ali. Thank you guys for all showing up here to support me, how long are you staying?" I asked her as we walked downstairs arm in arm.

"Just for a week, we are going home next Saturday. I have Tony running my stores and Emmett has Greg and Danny running his shop until his foot gets fixed. Jasper has agreed to work 'from home' so we're here free of worry, B." She told me as we stepped off the stairs.

"That's great, Ali, there is just one little problem." I told her as we followed the voices of our friends in the living room.

"What's that, B?" She asked as we stepped into the living room.

"I have nowhere for any of you to sleep. This is only a two bedroom house." I told all of them.

"That's not a problem, Bella, we will figure everything out." They all told me as the hugged me from all different sides.

Edward joined us a few minutes later. "Why did I go to sleep with my wife and sons in my arms and wake up later to two toddlers in my bed?" He asked as he walked into the living room and saw everybody there. "Holy shit, when did you guys get here?"

We all laughed at him as he stood there with his hair standing out at all angles rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

We all sat around my old living room and chatted about odds and ends things, them asking me what it was like growing up in a place like this and what my parents were like.

We finally hashed out the sleeping arrangements. For tonight, Edward and I would sleep in my old room, Em and Rose were going to blow up an air mattress and put it upstairs in my mom and dad's old room as well as three playpens for the little girls. Alice and Jasper were going to sleep on the pullout sofa bed. I felt sorry for all of us because none of us were going to get a good night's rest.

"What's for dinner?" Emmett asked as he vigorously stabbed a fly swatter down in his cast.

"There is no food in this house, how about us women go to the grocery store while you guys sort out the playpens, babies, and luggage?" I suggested to them since I was the only one who knew where the grocery store was.

"Oh yeah, there is a spare bed in my mom's junk room upstairs if you guys feel like cleaning out that room and storing everything up in the attic." I told them as slipped on my shoes.

They nodded as Rose, Alice, and I walked out the door and headed to the grocery store. "You guys know it's inevitable that this is going to take longer than either of you think and news spreads fast in this town. And at this moment I am the big news." I told them as we all climbed Alice and Jasper's car since it was the only one not blocked in.

They just laughed. "It's okay, Bella. We all have a shit ton of luggage that the guys have to tote into the house." Rose chuckled as she fastened her seatbelt.

It was almost five o'clock by the time we got back to the house and it was in chaos.

Three grown men and six little girls can do more damage than anybody could ever realize. They got the room cleaned out alright but all of my mom's art supplies were in the hands of the little girls and they were having a blast.

"Emmett Willard McCarty, get your crippled ass down here!" Rosalie screamed up the stairs when she spotted beautiful blonde headed Tori with purple paint all in her hair and cherub faced Lilly with green paint all over her arms and stomach.

"What, babe?" Emmett asked as he stood at the top of the stairs with his eyes going wide when he saw his beautiful girls. "Oh shit, girls you were only supposed to paint on the poster boards." He said to them and they just smiled at him and continued smearing paint all over each other.

Alice and I just laughed as Rose and Em had a stare off on the stairs. "It washes out, Rosie. Those are my mom's paints and she usually got paint all over everything when she painted." I told Rose as Alice and I carried the grocery bags into the kitchen. "Come on, Ali; let's go see if the refrigerator and stove still work."

When I went to turn on the water in the sink and nothing came out. I groaned as I remembered Sue telling me that they had shut the water off years ago and drained the pipes to keep them from busting during the winter months. "Umm…Bella...the fridge isn't coming on and it's warm." Alice said as she opened the refrigerator door the rest of the way. I groaned again remembering that they had also told me that all the appliances had been disconnected from electricity to save them.

"They probably work, Ali, they just all need to be hooked back up." I told her as I looked out the window and saw Edward and an old friend of mine from high school working on turning on the water. "Looks like Edward is already working on the water. Let's go find Jasper to get the appliances hooked back up." I told her as I went in search of Jasper since he was the only one not busy or in trouble.

We found him in the den area that Charlie used to house all of his guns, fishing poles, and my trophies. My shooting trophies, fishing trophies, and spelling bee trophies all hung on the wall beside his plaques from the force. "Jazz we need your muscles so we can get dinner started." I told him as he stood looking at the pictures beside each trophy.

"Okay, you and your dad must have been close. Where was your mom during all of these pictures?" He asked as he continued looking at the pictures.

"She never really took that big of an interest in my extracurricular activities." I told him as I turned and walked back into the kitchen.

He never said a word as he came and plugged in the fridge and stove for us. I was standing at the counter cutting up the chicken for the chicken spaghetti we were going to make when I felt his arms wrap around my shoulders and he placed a kiss on the side of my head before leaving the kitchen.

I felt the tears pour down my cheeks as I fired up the stove for the first time in six years. I had fixed this exact recipe, only in smaller portions, many times in my lifetime. The leftovers usually froze nicely.

I stood there crying as I cooked the chicken and noodles, not even noticing anything going on around me. Everybody left me alone to deal with my own demons and for that I was grateful. The one thing that my mom and I had connected on when I was younger was cooking and experimenting in the kitchen. She grew tired of the responsibility of cooking every day when I got older and started doing most of the work.

I stood back over the kitchen sink as I drained the water off the noodles as I stared out the window and remembered the days I had spent out there learning to shoot every gun that my dad had in the house. I chuckled to myself as I remembered when I was about ten and my dad had frozen a milk jug full of water and told me to shoot it. When it exploded, I had dropped the gun terrified at the explosion it had caused. I remember him kneeling in front of me, wiping my tears, and telling me 'Bells, this is why we don't play with guns. That is what happens when you shoot somebody, the person's insides explode like that.' It wasn't true but it was enough to terrify the ever loving shit out of me.

I dried my hands and rubbed my stomach. "Boys, your Grampy Charlie was a special man and it saddens me that you will never get to meet him, but he will live on through me, I promise you guys this." I told my sons as they kicked me in answer.

"Talking to yourself, love?" Edward asked as he walked up and propped beside me on the counter.

I shook my head and wiped away my tears. "Nope, talking to our sons. I was just remembering my dad's version of gun safety." I told him as I mixed together the three casserole pans of chicken spaghetti.

"Really? I saw all of your trophies in there and most of them were for first place. In fishing, shooting, and spelling bees, that's quite a variety of extra-curricular activities, love." He told me as he took the first finished casserole pan and slid it into the preheated oven.

I laughed and nodded. "My dad insisted that I be a well-rounded child. I was the son he never had. We fished, hunted, and shot together; my mom hated all of them so it was usually just me and my dad. That boat out there has seen many days on the river with just me and my dad fishing peacefully." I told him as I motioned to the tarp covered boat sitting in the backyard under a little awning that wasn't there when I had left town six years ago.

"We should go fishing while we're here; you can teach me all that it involves. Mike said that he and Billy kept the boat tuned up over the years and that he was the one that built the awning over it, so it didn't ruin." He told me as he grabbed the second casserole dish and slid it in beside the first one.

"I was wandering about that." I said quietly as I finished up the last casserole dish and slid it over to him. "I would love to take you fishing and show you my dad's secret fishing spot that isn't so secret." I told him as I turned around and propped up against the counter beside him.

"I needed this, Edward. Our boys deserve to know what wonderful grandparents they had." I told him quietly as he came to stand beside me.

He leaned forward and kissed me gently on the lips. "That they do, love."

We both turned around and began working on the salad silently until Maggie came screeching into the kitchen. "Eddie! Eddie! Save me!" She said as she barreled into his legs, knocking him into the cabinet.

Edward chuckled and picked her up and placed her on the counter beside him. "Wanna help B make a salad?" He asked quietly.

She nodded eagerly. "Yeah! What do I do?"

I shooed Edward out of the way and began showing Maggie how to tear up the lettuce and put it into the bowl. This brought tears to my eyes again that I quickly blinked away and focused on showing Maggie how to tear the lettuce up. This is exactly how my mom had showed me how to cook when I was Maggie's age.

Before I knew it, I was surrounded by five little girls all eager to help, and I relished in it. I had Skylar and Annabelle buttering the bread for garlic bread. Maggie was playing in the salad tossing it all together. Tori and I were mixing the Kool-Aid together.

"You girls need any help?" Rose asked from the doorway.

"No, mama." Came from all the girls and I just grinned at them.

"Mama, come look at what I done!" Maggie called from her place on the counter.

"Mama, come look what we did!" Anna called from the kitchen table where she and Skylar were working.

"Me too, mama, come!" Tori called from her spot in the other sink basin.

Rose did the attentive mama thing and made her rounds with all the girls, apprising each one of them in turn. "How you doing, B?" She asked as she propped up on the counter beside Tori and I.

"I'm doing well; it's nice that all of you guys are here. I had told Edward that I wanted to replace some of the hurtful and bad memories with good fun filled ones. You guys will all help with that." I told her honestly. "It's a little hard remembering everything while knowing that I won't ever see them again, but I had suppressed all memories of them for years now, so it's kind of nice too."

"That's great, Bella, but you need to remember to stay as calm as possible for those kiddos of yours." She told me as she kissed the top of my head. "I'm always here if you want to talk about anything."

"Great, can you go get Ali and come back; I need to talk to both of you about something." I told her and she nodded.

She quickly went and got Alice and they both practically ran back into the kitchen. "What's up, Bella?" Alice asked as she snagged a tomato out of the salad bowl.

I took a deep breath. "I want to paint the house and buy some new furniture tomorrow." I told them and I saw the light spark in Alice's eyes. "I figured the guys could do the painting while we go pick out the furniture. We will have to go to Port Angeles to get everything." I told them quickly.

"Are you sure Bella?" Rosalie asked quietly concerned.

I nodded. "I'm sure. I want to turn my room into the nursery/play room, gender neutral of course for the girls and our boys. And I think I want to move us into Charlie and Renee's room." I told them quickly before I changed my mind.

"Sounds like a plan. Are you going to replace all of the furniture or just the bedrooms?" Alice asked.

"Everything; we never had the money to buy new furniture, but now I do and I want to do this for myself. My dad left this house and in his letter told me that he wanted me to make this a happy home when I was ready." I told them as I turned and looked out over the backyard again.

"We can do that, Bella." They both said just as the timer went off on the oven.

EPOV

Sunday, June 3, 2012

I stretched my back and groaned as I heard it pop as the water poured down over my head. That bed should be used as a torture device. It served its purpose for the night, but I was eternally grateful that the girls were going to Olympia to buy new furniture. The guys and I were going to toss all the other furniture and paint all of the rooms while the ladies spent the day shopping. We had split up the little ones. Us guys were keeping Maggie, Skylar and Tori while the women were taking Sariah, Anna, and Lilly. It was going to be a fun day to say the least, even though this house was small, it wasn't that small. The girls had left at sunrise this morning to make the most of the day since they had a three hour drive into Olympia.

"Eddie! Eddie! I go pee!" Maggie called from the door as she banged on it the best she could. I groaned, turned the shower off as quick as I could. I grabbed the towel and threw it around my hips as I wrenched open the door for her.

"Well come on in, Ms. Maggie. Eddie's going to go get dressed, okay?" I asked her as she hopped up on the toilet.

She nodded as I heard the telltale sign of her peeing. I grabbed my old clothes and tossed them on and was sitting on the bed when Skylar and Anna came walking in dressed in their overall shorts and tank tops. "Eddie, Daddy said you would fix our hair." Skylar said as she held out a handful of colorful ponytail holders.

I groaned as I scooted back on the bed. "I'm going to kill your Daddy. Come here Sky, let's do yours first. You got a hairbrush?" I asked her and she crawled up between my legs and handed me the hairbrush.

Luckily enough Rosalie had taught me years ago how to fix the girls' hair when they spent the night with me so this wasn't really hard at all. In a few quick minutes, I had their hair fixed in braided pigtails so that it would stay out of the paint later on. Maggie came in just as I was finishing Anna's hair. "Me too, Eddie! Me too!"

I patted my lap and she scrambled up and her knee narrowly my precious manhood. I groaned, picked her up and sat her down between my legs. "You need to still, Maggie, so that I can get your hair right, okay?"

She nodded and sat stiller than I've ever seen her sit before. Once all the girls were ready to go, I knelt in front of all of them. "Wanna get Daddy back?" I asked them and they nodded and leaned in closer to me.

"How are we going to do that, Eddie?" Skylar whispered quietly.

I quickly told them the plan and we all descended down the stairs. We found Jasper in the kitchen scrambling eggs and frying some bacon that the women had picked up last night. "It's almost done, Edward."

I nodded and the girls and I sat down at the table to wait and drink our orange juice. "Where's Em?" I asked him.

"I'm right here, idiot." He said as he clambered in, his foot encased in a walking boot.

I glared at him. "Don't call me an idiot after I fixed your girls' hair for you, douche." I told him as Maggie turned in my arms to look at me.

"Eddie, what's a doug?" She asked and we all busted out laughing at her innocence.

An hour later, the girls and I were strolling the aisles of Newton's picking out paint supplies, trimming tape, and a shit ton of paint to paint Bella's house. "Eddie what's all this for?" Skylar asked as she stood on the end of the buggy.

"We get to paint B's house today and we need all of this to do that with." I told them as I stopped in front of the paint samples. "What color do you want to paint the kitchen, girls?" I asked them as I stood in front of every color imaginable. Alice had already texted me the colors for each bedroom and the living room before I was even awake this morning, but told me I had free reign on all the other rooms.

"Excuse me, aren't you Bella's husband?" Asked a woman in her mid-30's if I were to guess.

"Yes, I am." I told her as I extended my hand to her. "It's nice to meet you, how do you know my wife?" I asked her.

"My name is Jennifer, and I worked with Chief Swan after I graduated from high school. What are you painting?"

"Oh, we're painting Bella's house today while her and some friends are out picking out furniture in Olympia." I told her.

"Yeah, we get to paint B's whole house." Annabelle piped from the buggy.

"Eddie, what's this color?" Maggie asked, shoving a paint sample into my face.

Jennifer just laughed. "Want some help painting and decorating?"

When the girls and I got back to the house an hour later, we had a trail of cars behind us of women offering to help clean out the chief's house to help Bella out.

BPOV

I was about to drop dead on my feet but we still had more buying to do. We had all the big furniture bought and on its way to Forks but now we had to buy all the bedding, towels, pillows, rugs, etc…all the things to make a house a home.

We had bought three crib to toddler bed conversions, three new complete bedroom suites, a new living room suite, and a new dining room set in the four hours we had been shopping. Thank god it was time for lunch and the girls' naptime. I had given Alice free reign with my credit card and sent her on her way into Target to get whatever we needed for the house.

Edward and I had talked last night and decided since we planned on future vacations here that every couple needed their own space. Edward and I were going to be taking over my mom and dad's room, my room would become the nursery/playroom, and my mom's old junk room would become Em and Rose's room while the den downstairs would become Alice and Jazz's room.

Rose and I were sitting in the SUV with our feet hanging out the window listening to music, snacking as the girls slept in the backseat. "This is nice, isn't it?" I asked Rose quietly.

She hummed in agreement. "Sometimes I love being pregnant, other times I hate it, but I love all my girls the same." She said as she rubbed a hand over her baby bump.

"Have you thought of a name for this one yet?" I asked quietly as I popped a chip in my mouth.

"Hmm… I don't name my girls until I see them. It comes to me when I look at them for the first time. We don't even discuss names until I start going into labor."

"Wow, I don't know if I could wait that long to decide names." I chuckled at her.

"It takes a lot of restraint but it saves a lot of arguments between Em and I." She laughed then groaned as Sariah started crying from her car seat.

She acted like a bell signaling that it was time to wake up because within five minutes, Tori and Lilly were both wide awake. She fixed Sariah and Lilly a bottle as I popped out the strollers so we could go inside and find Alice now that the girls were awake.

We walked around Target for over an hour as Alice piled buggy after buggy full of stuff that she declared that we needed. We stopped for Chinese on our way home before making the three hour trek home. Our SUV was packed to the gills with everything we would need or didn't need. I groaned as we pulled into the driveway and saw all of my mom and dad's furniture piled onto an old trailer and hooked to a truck I didn't recognize.

"It's kind of surreal to see all of the furniture that I was raised with, sitting out in the rain." I told to no one in particular.

"I can only imagine what you are going through, my parents are free spirits, but at least I have the knowledge that they are alive." Alice said comfortingly.

"Thanks, Ali." I told her as I gripped her hand tightly in mine.

"I am glad we are having a moment right now, but can we please have this moment while we are inside? My ass is numb and I need to pee." Rose complained from the very back.

We chuckled and began piling from the car. I sat Victoria down on her feet and she toddled towards the house. "Go find Daddy, Tori." I called after her.

"Edward!" I called as I unbuckled Lilly from her car seat.

"Yes, love?" He asked from right behind me.

I jumped. "Geez Edward, you are going to send me into early labor, sneaking up on me like that." I told him as I turned to face him.

"Sorry, love." He said as he tickled Lilly in the ribs causing her laugh and wiggle in my arms.

"We have a shitload of stuff in this vehicle that needs unloading and three amazing guys to do it." I told him as I stepped around him and made my way inside as Rose and Alice just laughed at his shocked face before screaming for their significant others.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I stepped through the door. It didn't even look like my old house anymore. The walls in the living room were painted a sky blue with white trim/molding; it looked amazing with the new furniture and accent pieces that we had picked out earlier. I walked around and saw that all of mine and my dad's trophies and plaques had been placed on one of the bookshelves that Alice had insisted upon earlier today.

I ran my hand along the edge of the shelf as I wandered out of the room and into the rest of the house. The kitchen was painted a bright yellow with white cabinets; the den was now painted a deep red with Alice and Jasper's new bed and dresser sat against one of the walls. The dining room had our new huge dining room table and chairs sitting on top of the huge rug that I had insisted we buy today.

I wandered up the stairs running my hand along the wall that was beige and lined with various pictures that used to be spaced throughout the entire house. When I got to the top of the stairs, I stopped and took a deep breath before walking into the first door which was technically the master bedroom, Charlie and Renee's old bedroom, now mine and Edward's new bedroom. One wall was painted a dark brown while the rest was painted a light blue; it went amazingly well with the comforter set Alice had picked out earlier today. Our bed stood center stage against the dark brown wall and our dresser was pushed up against a different wall.

We had gone with minimal furnishings in the bedrooms and just got beds and one dresser for each couple. We had splurged on the living room and the kids' bedroom.

I finished strolling through the rest of the rooms, loving what the guys did with the paint colors. I was surprised that they had gotten it all done while we were gone. They're small touches of both my mom, my dad, and my childhood throughout the entire home.

"You like it, love?" Edward asked me as he found me staring out the window of my old bedroom.

I nodded and turned to face him. "I do, barman, even though I'm shocked that you got it all painted today." I told him on a chuckle.

"Oh, I had a shit load of help. This house was packed to the gills with people up until an hour ago." He told me as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"That explains it then."

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**So the friends go home in the next chapter :(**

**I hope you all enjoyed Bella reliving her memories. There are more of those moments coming up in the next chapter then we are on to Chicago for 4th of July, Tori's 2nd birthday, and Edward's birthday.**

**Please leave me a tiny review and lemme know what you thought!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Okay guys, I just wanted you to all know that I appreciate each and every single review that you guys send me even if I don't reply to them.**

**I got a question though, fanfiction makes it kind of difficult ot post links on here but I will do it if you guys like them to help you visualize what i try to describe. So do you like them or not? Do you prefer them or not?**

**Disclaimer: SM owns it, not me.**

* * *

Chapter 17

Monday, June 4, 2012

BPOV

I smiled as I cracked yet another egg against the side of the bowl; it was going to be a rare beautiful sunny day in the small rainy town that I used to call home. I heard the footsteps upstairs and knew that the girls were waking up and before long they would have the entire household up. It was strange waking up this morning in what used to be my mom and dad's room, but Edward had consoled me all night as I struggled to sleep in our new bed in their old room.

"Whatcha doin', baby?" Edward asked sleepily as he wrapped his arms around my waist and cradled our sons in his hands.

"Cooking breakfast, barman, what does it look like I'm doing?" I told him as I began whipping the eggs, milk, and cinnamon together for french toast.

"Are you okay this morning?"

I nodded gently and patted his hand that was resting against one of our boys.

"Good, what do you want to do today?" He asked as he placed a gentle kiss against my neck.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Doesn't really matter to me, just something outside because it's going to be a rare beautiful sunny day outside." I told him as I stepped to the heated skillet and began dipping the bread and placing it in the skillet to cook.

"You are the tour guide here, Bella." Edward said as he stepped back from me and pulled a glass from the cupboard.

"There is this little place not far from here that I used to go to as a kid and is a perfect place for a picnic. It has a stream running beside it that we can all take a swim in and plenty of room for all the girls to run around in." I suggested as I began plating the stacks of French toast and topped them with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

"That sounds fantastic, baby."

I told the others the plan over a rather rowdy breakfast at the new dining room table that was big enough to fit us all and they all agreed that it sounded amazing. We all put on our bathing suits, shorts, tank tops and hiking boots because it was a bit of a hike from the closest road and hit the road in two separate vehicles. We stopped at the grocery store and got stuff for an easy picnic lunch as well as some easy snacks for the girls.

"B, how much longer?" Skylar asked as we stepped over yet another fallen branch in our path.

"Not much farther, Sky, not much farther." I told her as I pushed a branch out of the way and we stepped into a flower filled meadow.

"Wow! This is awesome, B!" Skylar screeched as she took off running through it, causing a shitload of butterflies to fly up from the flowers.

I just chuckled at her exuberance as the rest of the crew stumbled through the last bit of bushes and into the clearing that Skylar was running around in.

Anna, Maggie, and Tori took off running around behind Skylar through the clearing. "Who knew something like this could be found out in the middle of nowhere?" Emmett commented as he placed Lilly down and she toddled after her sisters.

"I did, Em. I used to come here to chill out when I was a kid. You can actually get here on foot from behind the house." I told them as I leaned my head back and looked up at the sky through the tree tops.

"It's beautiful, Bella." Rose said as she and Alice spread out the blankets for us all to chill out on.

"It really is breathtaking, Bella." Jasper said as he sat down the cooler that contained our food and snacks.

Alice nodded in agreement as she flopped back on the blanket.

Edward hadn't said anything yet but he walked to the edge of the stream and stared off in the distance.

I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him from behind the best I could. "What's on your mind, Edward?" I asked him quietly.

He tugged me to his side and kissed me on the side of the head. "Nothing's wrong, baby. I'm just thinking about you being here as a child."

"Bullshit, Edward. You haven't said a word since we got out of the car." I told him seriously. "Let's go for a walk and talk, okay?" I suggested quietly.

He nodded as he hung his head. I turned back to our friends. "Guys, we're going to go for a walk. Be back in a little bit, okay?" I called out to them.

They all nodded and I gripped Edward's hand in mine and took off through the shallow part of the creek to the forest beyond. We walked hand in hand in silence until we came to a fallen log and I tugged him down to sit on the ground and I settled between his legs leaning back against his chest. "Now tell me what's wrong, Edward? What's bothering you?" I asked him quietly.

EPOV

Watching Bella go through the gamut of emotions the past few days since we had been in Forks had been really hard on me. I had no idea how I was going to react when we reached Chicago and it was my turn to relive the memories. I was grateful for our friends showing up unexpectedly, but I really wanted these trips to be just about Bella and I and I didn't want to hurt anybody's feelings. I tried to hide my irritability, anxiousness and nervousness from her but when she confronted me as I stood beside the stream; I knew I had been doing a shitty job of hiding how I felt.

I took a deep breath as I held her between my legs and thought about how to tell her how I felt.

"I don't know how I'm going to handle going home in a few weeks." I told her quietly.

She nodded. "I'm not going to lie, it's been hard coming here reliving the memories but it has also been kind of nice."

I nodded but otherwise kept silent. "Walking back into that house for the first time in six years was mind blowing. It was like I had walked into a time warp or something. It was just like the last time I had walked out of it, albeit a little mustier."

I chuckled. "Yeah." I told her in agreement.

"I can understand your reluctance to go back home, but I honestly don't think that's what's bothering you." She told me as she fiddled with the fingers of my broken arm.

I took a deep breath and decided to just confess. "I wanted this be about you and me. Learning about the other's past, childhood, and dealing with the grief together. I am grateful for our friends, but I want to be the one to console you, experience these things with you, and relive the memories with you." I told her quietly.

She just chuckled. "I know what you mean. I think it's time for them to go home, too. We can always come back another time for a vacation together but I want this time to be about me and you connecting as well."

I breathed a sigh of relief that she agreed with me. "Now the hard part, how do we tell them?" I chuckled against her head.

"I think they will understand. I am glad that they were here to help us redecorate and to at least share this place with me. I don't have any memories of my parents here. They never came out here; they left me alone when I came out to the woods as long as I checked in every couple hours." She explained to me.

"How deep is that water right there?" I asked her, changing the subject entirely.

"Probably about four foot or so; it's one of the deeper areas of the creek." She told me as she turned to look at me. "What are you thinking?"

I winked at her. "I was thinking we could take advantage of being alone out in the wilderness." I told her huskily.

She quickly, well as quickly as she could anyways, stood up and stripped off her tank top. She revealed one of her bikinis from our honeymoon but it looked a lot smaller on her now and it showed off her growing baby belly amazingly well. Her skin was stretched tight but didn't have any stretch marks because of our morning lotion rubbing rituals. "Wow, you look amazing baby." I told her as I stripped off my t-shirt and tossed it on top of where her tank top was.

"You think?" She asked as she looked at me from under her lashes.

I nodded quickly and kicked off my shoes and tugged off my socks. I grabbed her hand and hauled her towards the water. "There are rocks that act as stepping stones down into the water." She told me as we approached to edge of the water.

I stuck a toe in the water and felt around for the rock and planted my foot firmly on top of it as I eased myself down into the water. "This is amazing." I told her as I helped her into the water.

"I used to love swimming here when I was a kid. Jake and I used to come here all the time when we were teenagers with some of our friends." She told me and I scowled at her. "Oh, get over it already. I'm married to you and having your sons."

I laughed. "I know, baby, but I still don't like what he did to you." I told her as I floated in the water.

"I know, Edward, but I have a lot of memories with him in this town in general. We both grew up here together, and were best friends for years before we started dating." She told me as she settled into the water.

I nodded. "What did y'all do out here in the woods as teenagers?" I asked her as we floated side by side.

"Oh, if my dad ever found out what we did in these woods he would have grounded me until I was 50!" She told me as ran her hands over the water causing it to ripple.

"Like what?" I prodded as I stood back up and sat on one of the steps and pulled her between my legs.

"Well, for prom, the guys from the reservation brought out a bunch of tents and we set them up and partied to the wee hours of the morning. It was crazy." She told me.

I laughed. "That sounds pretty cool." I told her as I ran my hands down her back and cupped her ass in my hands.

"It's probably pretty lame compared to yours though." She said on a groan.

"Not really, I didn't go to my senior prom because it was the weekend after my parents' death. For my junior prom I went with this girl I had been dating, Sarah Sarthe. About an hour into prom she had disappeared and I went looking for her, only to find her in the bathroom on her hands and knees giving a blow job to some bellhop. I got so wasted that I ended up sleeping in my mother's rose bushes and woke up the next morning to thorns in my ass and her spraying me with the water hose." I told her and she busted out laughing.

"That's hilarious, Edward." She said as she draped her legs over mine and leaned back to float in the water as I supported her back.

"It is funny now, looking back, but at the time it sucked big time." I told her as I leaned forward and placed a kiss on her glistening stomach. "I hope our boys don't ever do stupid shit like that." I told her gently.

I stroked my hands up her back and cupped her shoulders in my hands. "Have you ever had sex in this creek before, baby?"

She smirked at me and shook her head. "Nope."

I smiled back at her and leaned forward and nudged her bikini top to the side, sucking a nipple into her mouth. She groaned and pressed her hips against mine, grinding herself against my hardness. I released her nipple and gripped her hips in my hands. "Are you opposed to it?"

She shook her head.

Almost two hours after we had left the meadow, we returned to it hand in hand, and our hair dripping wet. Emmett was the first one to spot us. "Uh huh, what have you guys been up to?"

Bella blushed and ducked her head into my chest as I just laughed and shook my head. "Nothing you wouldn't do given the chance." I told him as we made our way across the meadow.

"That's true! Skylar is proof of that." He said as he gazed affectionately at his wife and kids as they all lay sound asleep on a blanket beneath a tree off to the side of the meadow.

Bella and I both groaned and sat down on the blanket beside him. "Em that is way too much information. We all know that you and Rose go at it like bunny rabbits. Your seven kids in five and a half years are proof enough of that." Jasper said as he stroked a hand down a sleeping Alice's back.

"I think we are done after this one." He said quietly as he still looked at his family.

"Going to give up on the boy, huh?" I asked him as I cradled Bella against my chest.

He nodded. "I wanted a boy to carry on my legacy, my last name, but I guess it's not going to happen and that is okay. As long as all my girls are happy in the end, that's what's important." He said.

"Speaking of boys, have you guys thought of names for your boys?" Jasper asked quietly.

I shook my head. "Not really. I know that I at least want to name them after our fathers' but we haven't really discussed it yet." I told him as I stroked Bella's stomach as she breathed rhythmically, letting me know she was asleep.

"I don't know if Alice could be that patient." Jasper said as he looked down at his beautiful fiancée.

"Is there something you want to tell us, Jazz?" Emmett asked as he stood to go get a stirring Sariah.

He just grinned. "There are a few things."

"Like what?" I asked as Emmett sat back down cradling his latest addition to his chest as he popped a bottle into her mouth.

"Like we are trying to have a baby, been trying for about a month now." He said quietly. "You guys have given her baby fever."

We laughed. "Oh my babies were so very unexpected and not planned." I told him honestly. "I wouldn't change anything about it now but, they were still a surprise." I told them honestly as I stroked a hand over them.

"Don't you guys want to wait until you are married?" Em asked.

Jasper just grinned and shook his head. "We are already married. We went to the courthouse the week after the accident and sealed the deal."

I gasped at him. "And you didn't think to tell anybody?" I asked him quietly.

"Alice didn't want to upset either of the women since they are both pregnant." Jasper explained.

"Wow!" I said quietly astonished.

Em didn't say anything and silence fell on the meadow, except for Sariah's sucking noises. After several minutes, I decided to just throw the bomb out there. "Bella and I appreciate you guys coming out here to help us through this, but we need to do this on our own. We need you guys to go back home." I told them quietly.

They just nodded in understanding. "I understand, Edward. You know that we are all just a phone call away if you need us." Jasper said quietly.

"You guys deserve this time to get to know each other's pasts and to deal with this together. Besides, we will still see you in Chicago for the fourth of July and yours and Tori's birthday celebrations." Em said as he burped Sariah.

BPOV

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

I waved as my friends pulled out of our driveway in our SUV. They were driving it back home so that we wouldn't have to worry about it when we headed out for Chicago. I had agreed to try flying again; it would be a whole lot easier than another long ass road trip. We were going to keep the vehicle that Jasper and Alice rode up in from Seattle and turn it in when we went to board our own plane when we headed to Chicago.

"You okay, baby?" Edward asked as he walked back up the sidewalk.

I nodded and smiled at him. "Perfect." I told him as I turned and headed back into the house to finish cooking our lunch.

"So what do you think about Jazz and Ali hiding the fact that they had gotten married?" Edward asked as he sat down at the little kitchen table.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I can't really judge considering we got married in Vegas on a spur of the moment." I told him as I sliced pieces of chicken to go on top of our salads.

He nodded. "Do you regret not having anybody there?"

I took a deep breath. "In some ways, yes, in other ways, no." I told him quietly.

"Do you want to get remarried after the boys are born? Maybe on our one year anniversary?"

I smiled as I grabbed our bowls and headed towards the table. "Maybe we can have a double ceremony with Ali and Jazz." I told him as I sat down.

"We'll ask them when we see them in Chi town. Speaking of Chicago, when do you want to go?" He asked as he dug into his salad.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Everybody else is expected to come in on the 2nd and I am sure you are going to need a few days to adjust to being back there." I told him as I tucked into my own salad.

He hung his head and sighed. "I feel like such a baby about this." He mumbled so low I almost didn't catch it.

"I know for a fact it's hard, Edward. I am sure it's going to be twice as hard on you because your parents were so involved in your life, unlike mine." I told him as I placed my hand over his.

He nodded and sniffed. "Maybe we should go a week before everybody else gets there. I hate cutting your trip so short though."

I laughed. "Trust me, by the time it's time to leave, we will both be bored out of our minds. There isn't a whole lot to this place, which is one thing that sure hasn't changed in the last six years." I told him as I laughed.

"I agree, this is one small ass town, but it's kind of nice that everybody knows you though." He told me honestly.

I nodded. "Yeah, it is nice to have other people help me remember times with my parents." I told him as I sat back and contemplated on telling him what I wanted to do this afternoon.

"I bet; Chicago is huge but the little community I was raised in is very tight knit and I'm sure you will hear some memories of me and my parents when we get there. What else is on your mind, love?"

I took a deep breath. "How do you feel about meeting the parental units today?" I asked him quietly.

He smiled at me and clasped my hand tightly in his. "If you want to go visit your parents, then I say let's do it."

I smiled back and nodded as I stood up and took our empty bowls to the sink.

It was almost an hour later that we sat in the car outside the Forks Cemetery where my parents resided now. We had been sitting here for almost ten minutes with tears streaming down my face. "Love, if you can't do this today, there is no shame in that; we have two more weeks to be able to come do this." Edward told me as he cradled my face in his hands.

I shook my head. "I've not been here. Once I made the arrangements for their funerals, I left town with Jake in the middle of the night. I didn't want this to be real, so I didn't attend the funeral or burial. I wasn't ready to say goodbye, and I don't think I'm ready now either." I told him honestly as I stared ahead at all the headstones in the cemetery.

"How about we don't consider this a goodbye, but an introduction? You can introduce me to your parents and you can introduce our boys to their grandparents? How does that sound?"

I smiled at him. "You always know the perfect thing to say, husband. Let's go do this. Our boys deserve to know how awesome their grandparents were." I told him as I nodded again before opening the door and climbing out.

He was around the car and to my side before I had fully climbed from the SUV. "I'll be right by your side the entire time, unless you tell me to skedaddle." He told me and I smiled at him and placed my hands on his arms.

"I love you for that, but could you give me a few minutes alone with them?" I asked him quietly.

He nodded and leaned back against the SUV. "I'll be right here if you need me. I love you and you can do this. You deserve the closure, love."

I nodded and kissed his lips gently before wrapping my hands around our babies and making my way to where I knew their graves were.

I felt the tears increase as I got closer to their spots. "Oh, daddy!" I cried out to no one in particular. Once I reached their headstones I sank to the ground in front of my daddy's grave and leaned back against it. "Daddy, I miss you so much. I'm sorry I haven't been to see you but I need the time to heal, just like your letter said I would." I told him as I ran my fingers over his name, Chief Charlie Swan. His real name was Charles but he hated it, so I went with what everybody knew him by.

"So much has changed since that fateful day when you and mom were ripped from this world. I left town with Jacob but we are no longer together and I have found the most amazing man in the world to be with now. I did like you asked me to in your final letter; I went to college and made something of myself. I graduated with honors in English Literature and got my teaching certificate. I teach advanced placement English in Texas, where I live at now." I told him as I felt one of my boys kick my ribs.

"I have recently married that amazing man, Edward, and we are expecting your first of I'm sure several grandchildren in about five months or so. I'm sure you would have loved him, daddy, he's perfect for me. He has suffered a severe loss of his own, just like me, but has persevered and became a wonderful man. We are expecting twins, daddy! Can you believe it?" I continued talking to my daddy for the longest time until my ass went numb then I stood up and moved over to my mom's headstone.

"Hi, mom, I don't know what to say to you. Even when you were alive I didn't know what to say to you half the time. We weren't on the best of terms when you were yanked from this world so suddenly, but I will never be able to forgive myself if I didn't at least try to make amends. I forgive you mom, for everything. You have actually taught me a very valuable lesson." I told her as I stood there staring at her headstone while I rubbed a hand over my sons.

"I am going to be a mother in a few months and you taught me what I want to give to my children. You weren't into being a mother, and I understand that, but I don't understand why you didn't just leave and leave me with daddy. I love my boys more than my own breath and they aren't even here yet." I told her as I felt the anger bubbling just below the surface.

"It was so unfair of you to rely on me so much, I was just a kid. You were supposed to be the adult, not me." I told her angrily. "It's all in the past now, and I know that I will always strive to be a better mother than you were capable of being. I just wanted to let you know that you are going to be a grandmother soon. I love you, mom." I told her as I ran a hand over her tombstone again.

I looked up and saw Edward watching me as he leaned back against the SUV. I whistled at him and motioned for him to join me. "Daddy, there is someone here I want you to meet. At least now, I know you won't pull a gun on him and try to scare him away." I said to my dad just as a breeze swept through the cemetery. I smiled, thinking it was my dad, giving me his approval.

When Edward had reached my side, I reached out and clasped his hand in mine. "Edward, I would like to introduce you to my parents. This is my daddy, Chief Charles Swan, even though he always went by Charlie." I swept my hand over my daddy's tombstone. "And this is my mother, Renee Swan."

Edward spoke in a clear strong voice. "Chief, I just want to let you know that your baby girl is the apple of my eye and the love of my life. I wish you could be here to see the love that I have for her, but I am sure you are watching over her every move. She is a clumsy one and needs all the watching she can get. I try my best to watch over her, but she gets irritated with me when I hover too much." He told my dad and caused me to laugh through my tears. "I love her, Chief, and I promise to take care of her and our boys to the best of my ability for the rest of our lives together."

He then wrapped his arms around my waist as we stood there having a one-sided conversation with my parents, mainly my father. It was therapeutic and upsetting all at the same time.

"Charlie, I promise that I will bring Bella and the boys up here to see you as often as I possibly can. You have my word on this. Even though our lives are in Texas, we plan to spend some vacation time here and in Chicago, where I'm from, throughout the year. I promise that my kids, all of them, will know who their grandparents are and how amazing they were as parents." Edward said and I sighed as I knelt down in front of their graves again.

"Dad, Mom, I'm sorry it's been so long, but I just wasn't ready for all of this yet. But with Edward by my side, I think I could conquer the world. I will be back to visit before we leave town in a few weeks. I love you both." I said as I kissed the tips of my fingers and pressed it to each tombstone.

With that being done, Edward wrapped his arm around my shoulders and guided me back to the car. "You okay, love?"

I nodded against his chest. "Yeah, I'm good. It was nice talking to them again, especially my dad. My mom and I weren't really on speaking terms when she died but it was still nice to let her know that she was forgiven." I told Edward as he helped me into the car. "I'm tired now though, so can we go home?"

He nodded and headed towards my childhood home.

EPOV

Thursday June 21, 2012

Visiting Bella's parents' graves had been an eye opener for sure. Unlike her, I had gone to my parents graves before I had left Chicago, but didn't attend the funeral and had no part in the preparations either. My father being the planner that he was had taken care of everything in his will that he faithfully updated every year the day after my birthday. I had only been seventeen when they died, so my father's business partner/ my godfather had taken care of everything and also made sure I had everything I needed while I stayed at the hotel. When I had turned eighteen, everything transferred into my name - the house, the cars, the money, everything.

Today was going to be a different kind of day; I was going fishing for the very first time. I had been out in a boat before but never fishing and Bella was taking me to her and her father's special secret spot.

We had been in Forks for almost three weeks and we were both bored and tired of the rain. Last week at our doctors' appointments, I had gotten my cast cut off and we had seen our boys again and they were healthy and growing like they were supposed to be.

"Edward, let's go!" Bella hollered up the stairs.

I groaned and finished lacing my tennis shoes before I raced downstairs. "I'm coming, love, I was just tying my shoes." I told her as I skidded to a stop in front of her.

She looked delectable in her short shorts and tank top since it was warm outside. "You look amazing, love, absolutely amazing."

She just rolled her eyes at me and held out the car keys to me. I snatched them and opened the door for her. She guided me as I backed up to the Chief's boat hitch and she wound it down onto the tow hitch of the SUV. "Okay, Edward, scoot over. I'm driving." She said as she yanked open the drivers' side door.

I rolled my eyes and scooted over and let her hop in the SUV and we were on our way. We were scheduled to leave on Monday so we could head to Chicago and it would be my turn to face my own demons. "Tell me a memory of you, your dad, and this fishing hole." I prodded her gently.

She took a deep breath. "I remember when I was about fifteen and my dad brought me and Jake out here for an interrogation before he could take me out on a date."

"I thought you guys grew up together?"

She laughed. "We did, as friends. But, when Jake asked me out on a date it changed everything. I was my daddy's little girl and he was very protective, so he took his job as protector very seriously. Anyways, we came out here so that Jake would be trapped in the boat with him with no way to escape."

"What happened?"

"Dad being dad, scared the shit out of Jake and threatened to feed him to the fish if he so much as thought about laying a finger on me. Dad left me on the bank and took Jake out for a quick spin before they came back." She chuckled.

I groaned. "I don't think you dad would approve of the way we met." I told her as we bounced over a rough beaten overgrown path.

She laughed deep belly aching laughs. "There is a big difference between being fifteen and being twenty four, Edward."

I nodded in agreement. "If I had daughters, I don't know what I would do if they wanted to go out on a date. I think taking the guy fishing is a perfect way to break the ice." I told her thoughtfully.

"Dad thought it was perfect, too, and it worked because it took Jake almost a year before he even went beyond kissing me chastely on the lips. I don't know if it was because he was terrified of my dad or because he was sexually confused." I busted out in the deep belly aching laughs this time.

She backed the SUV up until the boat was in the water then climbed out. "You take over driving and I'm going to go get the boat untied and floating." She said and shut the door before I could protest.

I groaned and climbed back over the seats until I was seated behind the driver's seat. It took no time at all to have the boat in the water and the SUV pulled back up on flat land.

I almost busted my ass getting in the boat which caused Bella to laugh, but once I was settled into my seat Bella handed me a paddle. We paddled ourselves out to the middle of the lake before Bella deemed it the perfect spot.

"Do you need me to bait your hook for you, husband?" She asked and I laughed.

"I think I can handle it, love. It can't be that hard to bait a cricket on the end of a hook." I told her as I picked a cricket out of the bucket we had bought on our way up here.

She just laughed and baited her own hook in silence.

After a few attempts I finally had the critter on the hook and ready to toss it out in the pond. After a few failed attempts to actually get the line to go more than five feet from the boat, I finally got it.

Once we were both settled in with our poles in the pond, I looked at my wife sitting there with her feet propped up on the side of the boat and her pole resting in her hands looking out at the lake. "Tell me another memory."

We had been doing this for the past two weeks, me asking her to tell me a memory and her having to think about which one she was going to tell me.

"Hmm…the summer when I was ten years old, my mom had been gone for a few weeks with no contact and my school had just let out, so my dad had to come up with a cheap way to occupy me during the days while he was at work."

I jerked on my pole when it tugged on my line and quickly reeled in the line with a little bitty ass turtle hanging on the other end. "A turtle, really?" I exclaimed.

Bella just laughed and handed me the wire pliers to pull the hook from its mouth. "Try not to kill it, and toss it back." She told me as she continued with her story.

"Dad decided to take me to work with him instead of hiring a babysitter. He set me up to answer the telephones all day and folks got a kick out of me answering the phones. I can still remember what I had to say every time the phone rang. 'Forks Police Department, this is the Chief's daughter speaking, what can I help you with today?' That is when I got the nickname of little chief."

We continued fishing until the sun starting to set and we deemed the day done. We didn't catch anything but a turtle but we had a nice afternoon just chilling out on the water.

The next morning, my birthday, my lovely amazing wife woke me up by kneeling between my legs blowing my mind.

We spent the day naked and mostly in bed, just what I wished for.

We weren't doing anything big because we were going to celebrate my birthday in Chicago, as well as Tori's second birthday.

Monday, June 25

BPOV

We were leaving Forks today to head to Chicago. It was kind of bittersweet to be leaving again, at least this time I was leaving on better terms. We were sitting in the diner that we sat on the first day we arrived in town, chatting with the town folks.

Sue set our plates down in front of us, grinning at me with tears in her eyes. "Oh, Sue, please don't cry. I think I have done a fine enough job of that all on my own." I told her as I wiped underneath my eyes for the umpteenth time since I had woken up this morning.

"Sorry, sweetheart. Just please don't stay away so long this time, and at least send us pictures of the babies when they get here." She said as she hugged me tightly.

"I won't. We plan on coming back once the babies are here with our friends for a family vacation. I will send monthly pictures of the boys when they get here, Sue. I will send them to you and you can put them up by our plaque." I told her and all the other people around us that were listening in on the conversation.

"That sounds like a fantastic idea, little chief." Sue said as she released me and headed back behind the counter.

Edward remained pretty silent throughout the whole conversation as he was lost in his own thoughts and demons. "You okay, barman?" I asked him as I nudged his burger at him.

He shook his head and smiled at me. "I'm fine, love, just thinking about my own parents." He said quietly.

"Are you sure you still want to go?" I asked him as he picked up his burger and took a big bite.

He nodded and flashed a quick smile at me.

"Okay, then eat up, cause we have a flight to catch. Are Mrs. Emily and Mr. Joe still going to open the house up and buy the groceries today?" I asked.

He had called the neighbors who had been taking care of his parent's place since they had died and asked them if they would go in the house and open it up for us and buy a short supply of groceries since we were getting in so late. Mr. Joe had even offered to drive one of the Cullen's vehicles and park it in short term parking at the airport, which we accepted.

"Yeah, Mrs. Emily is going to clean the place up. She practically begged to do it once I told her I was bringing my pregnant wife back with me."

I laughed. "I can't wait to meet them." I told him as I finished off my burger.

He groaned. "Oh, I can't wait either." He said sarcastically.

We finished our lunch and headed to Seattle to catch our flight. It was almost midnight by the time we landed in Chicago and Edward was a bundle of nerves.

EPOV

I couldn't control the shaking in my hands as the airplane touched the runway in my childhood hometown. "Oh God, I feel like I'm going to puke." I said as I put my head between my knees as we rolled to a stop.

"Deep breaths, honey, deep breaths." Bella said as she rubbed a hand up and down my back soothingly.

"I can't do this, love, I just can't. Can we please go home?" I begged her as I tried taking deep breaths.

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**So Edward is not wanting to deal with Chicago at all. Do they go home or stay?**

**Leave me a review and I might just let you know!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Here we are again!**

**Disclaimer: SM owns it, not me.**

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Chapter 18

Monday, June 25, 2012

EPOV

"Edward, listen to me. If you really want to go home then we will catch the next flight to Houston, but I think you are just scared to face your past. I think you will regret not doing this if we go back home. You may not regret it immediately but eventually you will. You have helped me with my trip home now let me help you through your trip. I will be by your side every single step of the way. I will not leave your side until you tell me to. Now, do you want to go home or deal with Chicago?"

"Deal with it I guess. You drive a hard bargain woman." I grumbled to her.

She just chuckled and ran her fingertips through my hair, effectively calming me down. "Do you want to stay in a hotel tonight or go on to the house?"

"If we're going to do this, then I might as well do it all the way. If I survive tonight then I think I can conquer anything." I told her as everybody started standing and grabbing their bags from the overhead compartments.

"You are the strongest man I know, Edward, you can do this. I'm not going to lie, it's hard, excruciatingly hard, but we can get through this together." Bella told me when I held a hand out to her.

"Thank you, love, that means a lot to me." I told her as I grabbed her hand and we headed off of the plane.

We finally found our bags and went out front and headed towards the airport taxi.

"May I help you sir?" a young man asked as we approached the counter.

"Yes sir, a friend of mine left a car here of mine and said they were leaving the keys here for us." I told the young man.

"Name please?"

"Cullen."

"Here are your keys, sir. Would you and your sister like a ride to your car?

"She's my wife and yes we would like a ride. Thank you."

We loaded into the golf cart and made our way to the short term parking area. I beeped the keys on the car to locate it.

"Here you are sir." The guy said right inside the gate and about 500 feet from our car.

"I will give you an extra twenty bucks if you take us right to the car." I told him as Bella leaned against my shoulder almost asleep.

He shook his head and didn't move. "Fifty?" I asked him.

He immediately pulled over to the trunk of our car and helped me haul the bags off the golf cart. I slapped the fifty in his hand and he left us standing beside my father's dark blue Aston Martin. "Is this the car we're using?" Bella asked as she muffled a yawn.

"Yeah, baby, it is. This was my father's pride and joy and one splurge that my mom allowed." I told her as I popped the trunk and started loading our bags into it.

"Have you ever driven it before?"

I shook my head. "No, he had always told me that once I turned eighteen I could drive it but not a day before. We never made it to that day unfortunately." I told her as I slammed the trunk shut and guided her to the passenger side of the car.

"Are you going to be okay driving it now?" She asked as she blinked up at me.

I nodded. "Yeah." I told her tersely, kissed her on the head and helped her into the car.

I walked around the car and had to pause as my nerves got the better of me again. My hands were shaking and I couldn't catch my breath. I hadn't had a panic attack in years before today and now I've had two in a matter of hours. I bent over putting my hands on my knees and took deep calming breaths before looking through the tinted windows at my wife's smiling sleepy face.

I took another deep breath before opening the door and sliding into the leather seat. "Have you always suffered from anxiety attacks, Edward?"

I shook my head. "I had my first one the day I came back from championships and realized that my parents didn't just miss the game, but they were actually gone. Forever. I used to take anxiety medication but they made me antsy so I stopped taking them. The attacks stopped once I moved away from here, unless I really thought about my parents and missing them." I explained to her as I started the car up, smiling as I listened to it purr.

"Do you think you are going to have to take medication again, just to deal with all of this?"

I shook my head again. "Nope, I have the best form of medication sitting right here in the car beside me. You are all I need, love, you and our boys. Speaking of our boys, have you thought of any names for them yet?" I asked her trying to distract myself as I backed out of the parking space and made the familiar trek home.

"I like the idea of naming each of them after our fathers, but I want them to have unique original names also. I like Jayden and I think it goes well with Carlisle. What do you think?" She asked, playing along with distracting me.

"Jayden Carlisle Cullen. That does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it? I like it." I agreed. One down, one to go. "What about Ryder Charles Cullen for the other one? I think that goes together pretty well, don't you?" I asked as we neared my old stomping grounds.

She nodded. "I like them both. So I guess it's decided. Jayden Carlisle and Ryder Charles will be our boys' names. Are we going to tell everybody or wait until they are born?" She asked quietly.

"I say we wait until they are born." I told her quietly as I pulled the car to a stop right outside our community gates.

"Okay. What's wrong, barman?"

"This is it. The entrance to our community. I helped my mom and the other ladies from the community plant those flowers because I had gotten a bad grade on my chemistry exam." I explained to her as I sat there gazing at what I had taken for granted as a child.

"Seems like we both had to do a little community work for punishment; your mom sounds like an extraordinary woman, Edward."

I nodded and headed through the brick columns that marked the entrance. I swallowed hard trying to keep my emotions under control as we got closer to the house that I had grown up in.

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******Link to house at bottom of chapter******

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"We have a library in here that you will love to spend your days in, love. It has more books than you'll be able to read in the month that we are here." I told her as I pulled into the driveway and came to a stop in front of the two story home.

"This is where you grew up?" She asked in quiet astonishment.

The house was lit up, inside and out, like a Christmas tree. I nodded and could feel the tears begging to pour out. I'm glad the guys weren't here to see this as they would call me a pussy for sure. "Yeah, my dad bought this house when he first started practicing medicine and we never left. The backyard is amazing, it even has a pond back there and plenty of room for the kids to run around and play." I explained as I turned the car off but didn't move.

"Tell me a memory."

I took a deep breath. "I remember all the days spent out in the yard tossing a ball back and forth with my dad. I remember my mom on her hands and knees tending to those flower beds of hers. God, Bella, there are so many memories here, it's unreal." I told her in a shaky voice.

She nodded. "I know, babe, but it helps to talk about it, to remember." She said as she opened the door and slid out of the car.

I groaned again because I knew she was right. I opened my door and slid out as I gazed at my old home and my beautiful wife rubbing a hand soothingly over our sons.

I popped the button for the trunk and began grabbing our bags as Bella stared at the house that I had grown up in. "It's huge compared to what I grew up in." She said in awe.

I just chuckled. "This was the first thing my father bought for my mom after they were married." I told her as I handed her, her rolling suitcase and I grabbed the other two and started up the sidewalk. "Come on; let's get this over with so we can get you and our boys in bed." I told her as I headed up the brick sidewalk.

"I thought you said Mr. Joe and Mrs. Emily were your neighbors. I don't see any houses nearby."

I stopped short of the door and paused looking at her over my shoulder. "They live through the woods back there." I told her and pointed to the trees behind our driveway. "There is a trail that leads through the trees to their house. I will take you to meet them tomorrow to thank them for everything." I told her quietly as I inserted the key into the door.

I couldn't open it. It was too much. I didn't know how to walk in here without my parents. I just didn't know how to do it. "You okay, Edward? Take deep breaths, babe, deep breaths. I'm right here." She repeated over and over until my breathing calmed down and I nodded at her.

I unlocked the door and pushed it open. I racked my brain trying to remember the details of when I was last in the house but for the life of me I couldn't remember. I knew that the kitchen and living room would be different because of a storm that had hit the Chicago area a few years ago and had knocked a tree through the windows causing a shitload of damage. "The house looks great. The workers did a great job, they had sent me pictures but I had refused to even look at them." I commented quietly as I surveyed the room.

"What happened?" Bella asked as she walked around the open floor plan of the downstairs. The living room, dining room, and parts of the kitchen were visible from the front door.

"A bad storm a few years ago busted several of the windows out when a tree fell over outside and caused water damage to most of the downstairs. This is all new and looks amazing. My mom would have been proud." I told her as I walked into the kitchen and looked at all the modern touches.

"Wow! Was anything else harmed?" Bella asked as she followed me into the kitchen.

I shook my head and ran my hand over the beautiful countertops that blended nicely with the green on the walls. "Nope, luckily the damage was contained to the main living areas. There used to be a wall right here." I told her gesturing to the space between the living room and dining room.

She wrinkled her nose. "I kind of like it open. Show me around?" She asked wrapping an arm around my waist.

"Want to see my old room first? I don't even remember how I left it." I told her as I guided her up the stairs

She just laughed as we headed up the stairs at a slow pace as she looked at all the family photos that lined the wall. There had to be over a hundred pictures lining the wall and encompassed my parents' entire life together as well as mine up until I was seventeen. "Your mom documented every moment, didn't she?"

I groaned when I saw what picture she was looking at. It was of me sitting on the commode with my pants hanging around my shoes, no shirt, and hair sticking up in every direction. I had to be two maybe three and was the first time I used the big toilet. "Yeah, I don't think she ever missed a moment, except maybe my first kiss and my first time and that's only because I didn't do it anywhere near her." I told her as I gazed at all the pictures.

"Oh my God, I can't believe she put that photo up here. I had to have walked by this wall a thousand times and I have never seen this." I told Bella as I pointed to a photo of my naked ass as I pissed into the pond out back with my red cowboy hat on and my jeans once again around my ankles.

"Wow! I can't wait until Emmett and Rose see all of these." Bella laughed as she looked closely at each photo.

"Oh no! These things are coming down before they get here." I told her quickly.

She just laughed. "Your mom was really beautiful, but you look like your dad with your mom's hair."

I smiled as I looked at a photo that I remember taking and it was only a few weeks before that tragic weekend. "This is them shortly before they died." I told her and pointed out the photo of the three of us.

"You all look so happy. I could spend all day looking at these photos but I am exhausted." She commented and I grabbed her hand and tugged her on upstairs.

"Mom and Dad lived on the main floor because of his erratic schedule and to make sure I never snuck out. The rooms up here are my bedroom, the guest room, and the library. Dad's office is on the landing at the top of the stairs. Mom refused to give him a room of his own for his office because she was afraid she would never see him then." I told her as I hit said landing and was swamped with the memories.

It knocked me to my knees and knocked the breath out of me. "Edward! Breathe, dammit, breathe!"

I fought with my body's reaction and focused on Bella's voice and soothing touch. "Come back to me, Edward, its okay, baby, I promise. Everything is going to be okay but we need you. Jayden, Ryder, and I all need you."

I nodded and took deep calming breaths as I attempted to get to my feet. "Tell me a memory."

I groaned in agony but obliged. I leaned up against the railing and tugged her into my side. "I remember when I was sixteen and had just started my junior year of high school. It was time for the first test in anatomy and physiology and I was freaking out about it until my dad brought me up and sat me down on that sofa." I pointed to the loveseat tucked into the corner.

"What did he do to calm you down?"

I just laughed as I remembered exactly what he had done. "I had been studying for the test all weekend and he knew that. He took my book and my notes and questioned me through the whole section. Once I had gotten them all right, twice, he took my book, notes, recordings, and stuff and hid them from me. He made me get out of the house and out of my head for the rest of the week. I got a 100 on the test. He used to have it framed on his desk." I told her softly.

She just laughed. "He sounds like a fantastic father. Our boys are lucky to have you as a daddy, Edward. You are going to be amazing just like your dad was."

I smiled and kissed her gently on the head. "Come on, love, let's get you in bed."

BPOV

Edward's parent's home, well I guess our home now, was absolutely amazing. I had expected outdated furnishings when I had walked through the door but had been blown away by the modern décor and furnishings. I was confused because Edward had said that nobody had touched it since his parents had died but that was all explained when he told me about the storm damage.

I was worried about him and his anxiety attacks but he seemed to recover from them fairly quickly. The pictures on the staircase walls were amazing as they allowed me a glimpse into his childhood antics. Edward guided me silently down the hall and directly into the past.

On the walls of his bedroom were pictures of Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson, both half naked. "Really, Edward? I figured you would be more mature than other teenage boys." I told him as I walked around his room.

"Hey, I had to have something to fantasize about. I equaled it out with manly stuff." He said as he pointed out the baseball posters and trophies.

I nodded and sat down on the side of the bed, it was fairly comfortable for not being slept on in over nine years. "You did, barman, you did. This room is very mature and grown up for a teenage boy, you know?" I told him as I scooted back on the full size bed to lie down and rest my back.

He nodded. "My mom and I had just redecorated right before I started my senior year. She said I needed a more mature room since I was heading into manhood soon." Edward told me as he kicked off his shoes and sat down on the bed beside me.

I smiled at him and opened my arms to him. He came willingly and curled into my side resting his head on my swollen boobs kissing my stomach. "I love you for doing this with me." He told me quietly.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else. Are you going to go turn all the lights off so we can go to bed or are you going to explore some more?" I asked him sleepily.

"I think I've seen enough for tonight; we will finish exploring tomorrow. I'll go turn the lights off really quick and grab our suitcases and then I will be right back, okay?"

I nodded and released him from my grasp.

I curled around one of the pillows on his bed and closed my eyes to wait for him.

When I woke up, alone, the sun was shining through the window bright and strong, a vast difference from Forks' mornings. I stretched my arm out and encountered nothing but cold sheets but I was under the blankets of Edward's childhood bed and he was nowhere within reach. I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes as I glanced around. I smiled as I saw his childhood bedroom; he must have been a very passionate teenager, because there were a ton of trophies lining various shelves in his room.

"Edward?" I called out in case he was within hearing range.

When I stood up from the bed I realized that I was dressed in my pj's of Edward's t-shirt and my panties. I opened the first door I came to and groaned when I saw that it was a closet, so I shut it and went to the door next to it hoping it was a bathroom.

I nearly jumped in joy when it was indeed an en suite bathroom. I emptied my bladder and dug through the suitcase that I found at the foot of the bed for some clothes and my toiletries so I could take a quick shower. Once I was finished, I headed off in search of my husband and found him curled up in a huge bed in what must have been his parents' room.

I quietly raked the hair off his forehead as I looked at his sleep relaxed features. He had dried tear tracks staining his cheeks and his eyes were slightly swollen from the obvious crying. I quietly tiptoed back out of the room, leaving the door open, and made my way to the kitchen.

I rummaged around in the fridge and cabinets and came up with the ingredients to make an awesome omelet. I was just about to pour the egg mixture into the hot skillet when a knock on the door interrupted me. I sat the bowl down and scooted the skillet to the side so I could go answer the door before it woke Edward up.

I peeked through the glass and saw an elderly woman standing there holding onto a leash of some sort. It must be Mrs. Emily from across the woods. I opened the door. "Mrs. Emily?" I asked her quietly.

She nodded. "You must be Isabella. It is so nice to see you. Is my dear boy here?" She asked softly.

I smiled and opened the door wider as she and a huge black lab came into the house. "He is but he's sleeping in his parent's bed at the moment. He has had a hard time since we got here. Who's this?" I asked her as I knelt down and petted the dog as it licked my chin causing me to laugh.

"Sam. I figured she would be a friendly reminder. She was Edward's dog but he couldn't keep her in the hotel when he moved so we kept her and he never came back for her." She said as she unclipped the leash from the dog's collar.

"Oh, I didn't know Edward had a dog." I told her as I stood back up. "Would you like some breakfast? I was just about to cook when you knocked." I told her as I headed back towards the kitchen.

She nodded and patted the dog on top of the head. "That sounds wonderful, Isabella. Sammy, go find Edward girl. Sniff him out." She told the dog quietly.

I just looked at her funny. "She comes with me when I come to clean the house and usually ends up on Edward's bed. That is why the blankets and sheets were clean; I had to wash her scent off of them yesterday. She'll find him. Even after nine years she still whines for him when she can't find him." She explained and the dog immediately headed up the stairs.

"It's Bella please, and I'm sure he will be delighted to see her again." I told her as I put the skillet back on the burner.

"Edward mentioned that you guys were expecting but I didn't realize that you were due so soon. When is the baby due?" Mrs. Emily asked as she sat down on one the barstools.

I just laughed. "I get that a lot Mrs. Emily but I'm only-"

"None of that Mrs. stuff, Bella. Emily will suffice just fine." She interrupted me quickly.

I just laughed. "Okay, Emily. They're not due until November." I told her as I poured the eggs into the skillet to cook.

"Wow! Twins! Edward must be ecstatic."

I just laughed. "I think it was a shock to both of us but we are both overjoyed with them." I told her as I began adding everything else to the eggs. "Thank you by the way for cleaning the house and buying a few groceries."

She just waved me on as Sammy came back downstairs with her nose to the ground causing us to laugh. "She must have picked up his scent." Emily said.

I nodded and flipped that omelet onto a plate and poured some more egg mixture into the skillet when Edward's squeal caught me off guard. "Sammy! What are you doing here, girl?"

I just shook my head and finished making breakfast. "Told you she would sniff him out; they were inseparable up until the day he left her with us. I thought she would mourn herself to death, but I guess coming over here appeases her some."

I nodded and smiled when I saw Edward walking into the room with the dog right on his heels. "Emily?" He stopped dead in his tracks as he spotted the elderly woman that reminded me of Mrs. Doubt fire.

She nodded with tears in her eyes. She stood up and held her arms out to him. He couldn't control the tears that spilled down his cheeks as he practically sprinted into her arms.

I turned away with tears in my eyes and finished our breakfast while they reunited in silent but powerful words.

By the time I had our plates and glasses of orange juice at the modern style dining room table they had released each other and were smiling at each other.

"I take it you've met my Bella?" He asked as he guided Emily to the table.

She nodded. "She's a lovely young woman, my boy. It's so good to have you back home." She said as she cupped his cheek in her hand.

He smiled and nodded. "It's good to be back home, Emily. Sam, come here girl." Edward said as he walked to the French doors and opened them to let her outside while we ate.

The dog whined when Edward went to shut the door and he looked at me with a guilty look and knelt down in front of the dog. "Sammy, you know the rules my love. I'll leave the door cracked but you have to stay outside until I call you, okay?"

The dog laid down with her head resting on her front paws. I chuckled and sat down beside Emily. "I never knew he was such an animal person. He doesn't have any animals back home." I told her as I took a drink of my juice.

"That's because Sammy holds a special place in my heart. I hope I can take her back home with us, if she does well with the girls?" He posed it as a question towards Emily.

She just smiled at him and nodded. "She's your dog, Edward, always has been."

He then looked to me guiltily. "Love?" He asked as he sat down across from me.

I just laughed and nodded before digging into my breakfast.

After breakfast, Emily excused herself back to her house, leaving Sammy, who had come back in once Edward had called for her and even shut the door behind her. I was beginning to like this dog more and more.

EPOV

Last night as I was turning off the lights of the house I was inexplicably drawn to my parents' room so after I took the luggage upstairs, got Bella into one of my shirts and tucked under the blankets, I went back downstairs and opened the door to my parents' sanctuary.

It was just like it was the day that we all left to head to the school so I could board bus to head to the championships right down to mom's robe laying across the bed. I knew from my neighbors that Emily kept everything covered in sheets to keep down the dust and came in once a month to sweep the floors and crack the windows a little bit to let in some fresh air.

My dad's lab coat still hung in the closet next to his suits that he wore into work. My mom had a folder of things she wanted to try with the house laid open on her nightstand. My dad's daily planner laid open on his nightstand with the day circled several times over in red pen. There were a variety of pictures on each of their nightstands but there was one that they both had. It was a family picture of the three of us that we had taken at Christmas. They each had a picture of me that they cherished separately as well as a picture of their last anniversary.

I felt myself starting to hyperventilate, so I went and sat down on their bed and burst into tears when reality hit me. My parents' were gone and not coming back. The last time I had been in this house, they were here and wishing me luck on the last games of my high school career. I remember walking Sammy through the woods to Emily and Joe's house for safe keeping while we were out of town but I couldn't bear to come back for her. She was too much of a reminder.

Joe had made sure I was taken care of while I holed myself up in that hotel. Emily made sure that I got my school work done and turned in and was eating properly. I instantly regretted not coming back here sooner and was grateful that Bella had given me that ultimatum on the plane.

I curled up on my mom's side of the bed and wept myself to sleep. The next thing I knew something cold and wet was licking up the side of my face. I slapped it away but it kept coming back and was way furrier than I remembered Bella being.

I snapped my eyes open and came face to face with another set of big chocolate brown eyes that held a special place in my heart. "Sammy!"

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**Leave me a review! Please!**

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	19. Chapter 19

**Tissue warning! Trust me, I warned my prereader and she agreed that this chapter was indeed tear wrenching.**

**Disclaimer:SM owns it, not me.**

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Chapter 19

Thursday, June 28, 2012

EPOV

It has been an exhausting few days as I sorted through all of my parents stuff and stored it in the basement on shelves. With it just being us growing up, we had no reason to finish off the basement so we just used it for storage. I had started with my dad's office, stacking his files and paperwork into waterproof tubs before storing it. I needed to go by the hospital and see if they wanted any of the files or if I should just burn them, until then I would just store them in the basement for safe keeping. I had indeed found my framed test and hung it on the wall in the 'office area' along with the rest of the pictures that were sitting on his desk.

Today, I was tackling my parent's bedroom while Bella attacked my childhood bedroom. I had decided that I didn't want to take over my parent's bedroom; it would just be too weird for me. We were going to turn it into the kids' quarters, bedroom and playroom for them.

"Edward, are you sure you want to store all of your trophies instead of displaying them? They might help overpower the naked photos of you!" Bella called from the top of the stairs.

"I'm sure, love, I can't believe my mom super glued the damn frames to the wall." I called back to her. "Just box them all up and I will come get them from upstairs."

"Why would I do that when I've got them right here?" She said from right behind me.

I groaned and shook my head. "Isabella Marie, I have told you about toting those boxes down stairs in your condition."

She scowled at me and placed her hands on her hips instantly making me regret my tone and words. "Edward Anthony Cullen, you will not talk to me like I am a child. I am pregnant not an invalid and I damned well am not a child." She said before she stomped her foot and made her way back up the stairs without another word.

"I'm sorry, love. I'm just concerned." I called up to her.

I heard her huff before continuing on up the stairs. I shook my head and made my way upstairs to grab the rest of the tubs from the living room. We were donating all of their furniture to Goodwill instead of reusing it for one of the other bedrooms.

My mom's old work space was going to be turned into Em/Rosie's room while Jazz/Alice were getting the guest room and I was sticking with my childhood bedroom even though it was getting a face lift.

The bed in the guest room was going into the kids' room as well as the four mini cribs that we ordered yesterday during our shopping trip. Luckily for me, all we had to buy was new bedroom furniture since the living room and dining room furniture was still brand new and modern.

The garage was the one place that I still adamantly refused to go because that was where my dad and I had spent most of our quality time. It hurt too much to venture in there and Bella was supportive of that decision. We were still driving the Aston Martin around and it stayed parked in the driveway because of my fear of the garage. My mom's BMW was still parked in there even though Joe and Emily had reassured us both that it did indeed crank and run thanks to Joe's thoughtfulness.

"Sammy, come on girl." I called to the dog that my parent's had given me on my 16th birthday. When they had presented with my shiny new Volvo, Sammy had been sitting in the passenger seat with a huge red bow around her neck.

I smiled as I heard her nails clicking on the tiles as we crossed the living room. After what seemed like a trillion trips up and down the stairs, I collapsed on the couch with a beer hanging from my fingers and Sammy sprawled between my legs her head resting on my thigh. "Are you tired girl?" I asked her as I stroked between her ears.

Just as I was about to take a swig of my cold beer, a knock sounded at the door. I groaned and pulled myself from the couch to let the furniture delivery guys in.

It was another three hours before I could finally collapse for the day, but this time I had both my girls with me.

Bella and I were settled on the sectional sofa, side by side with our heads propped on some throw pillows and Sammy snoozing on our feet. "Tired, love?" I asked as I stroked a hand over her side and down onto our boys.

She nodded. "Exhausted." She said softly. "This pregnancy takes everything out of me. I'm glad Emily and Joe came over to help us otherwise I don't think we would have gotten it all done today."

I nodded in agreement. "I say we just chill out tomorrow, not doing anything in particular. How does that sound?" I asked her quietly.

"Sounds like a plan. I could definitely stand for a lazy day after the past few days. Are we still going to Navy Pier on Saturday while we wait on everybody to get here?"

"Absolutely. Are you ready to watch the movie?"

She nodded and we settled in to watch _My Big Fat Greek Wedding_ that she had found in my bedroom earlier.

The next day we did indeed do nothing, we didn't even get out of our pajamas. Saturday was a different story all together because my lovely wife was beyond excited to go see Navy Pier and was up at the crack of dawn.

"Edward! Edward! Wake up!" She said as she stood over me on our new bed bouncing lightly on her feet.

"Baby, please don't stand on the bed." I told her as I help my hands up for her to grasp.

She just rolled her eyes and settled down across my hips, cocking an eyebrow up at me as she felt my morning hardness nestled between her thighs. "What did you expect, love?"

She just giggled and wiggled her ass over me causing me to groan.

It was almost two hours later before we left the house heading over to Navy Pier. This was going to be a hard day for me because I used to spend my summers basically living on Navy Pier with either my parents or friends. "You okay today, Edward?"

BPOV

It wasn't hard to notice the tension rolling off my husband as we got closer to Navy Pier. He ignored me the first time I asked him so I waited until he had parked the car and I asked him again. "Edward, are you okay? Are you going to be able to do this? If it's too much we can go back home." I told him as I ran my hand up and down his arm.

He jerked his pained gaze to me. "It's just hard, love." He said with tears in his eyes. "I remember spending so many summers here with both my parents and my friends."

"Tell me a memory." I pleaded with him because when he asked that of me it had helped me through dealing with my past and my parents.

He took a deep breath and flexed his fingers against the steering wheel before nodding. "When I was thirteen I begged mom and dad to let me come to the pier with a group of my friends from school."

"What happened?" I hedged.

"After grilling me for over an hour of the dangers lurking around Chicago they finally let me go. We were up on the Ferris Wheel for the third or fourth time when I spotted her standing over by the carousel watching me."

"She was spying on you?" I asked trying to hold back my chuckles.

He nodded. "Yeah, when I confronted her she admitted that she had followed me straight from the house. At the time it irritated me to no end, but now that we are having boys of our own, I understand where she was coming from." He explained as he looked at me.

"Are you going to be that type of parent? Hiding behind the carousel spying on our children?" I asked laughing.

He shook his head. "I hope not but I'm not making any promises. You ready?"

I nodded and we hopped from the car and headed onto the Navy Pier.

It was almost four o'clock when my phone rang a familiar tune that I had been missing lately. Rosie.

"Hello?" I asked as I sat with my feet propped in Edward's lap as he rubbed them.

"Hey chica, we're here. Where are y'all at?" Rosalie said loudly.

I chuckled. "Better question is where are all of you?" I told her and rolled my eyes at Edward.

"Oh, we're on the ferris wheel, the girls couldn't resist. Meet us here?" She asked.

I nodded even though I knew she couldn't see me. "Of course, we'll be there in a few minutes, we were just sitting down." I said as I pocketed my phone.

"They're here, at the ferris wheel." I told him as he slipped my socks and shoes back on.

"Let's go get them then so we can get you home. They can come back tomorrow if they want to but I'm done for the day." He said as we stood up and I had to agree.

"We've gotten lazy this summer, barman." I commented as we walked hand in hand towards the amusement park area.

He just laughed. "It's going to suck once I open this new club." He said quietly.

"Why's that?"

"The hours and the babies. It's going to suck."

"How far off till the opening?" I asked knowing that he hadn't even started the renovations yet on the procured building.

He groaned. "I don't even know; there is a lot of work to do in that building before it will be presentable."

I chuckled. "How about hiring someone and sending them to Tanya and Seth for training so that you won't have so much to worry about?" I suggested.

"Hmm… I never thought about that, love, that's a great idea. I would still like to bartend on Friday and Saturday though. Maybe we can hire a babysitter on those nights?"

I nodded. "Absolutely, barman, I wouldn't want you to lose your mad bar skills. So how long did it take you to renovate Breaking Dawn?" I asked as the carousel came into sight.

"Almost a year but that was just the bar, it took longer upstairs. Truth or Dare is going to have two levels though so I don't know, maybe a year or less, maybe more."

I nodded just as I heard a loud screaming coming from the ferris wheel. "Eddie! B!"

Annabelle skidded to a halt in front of me as Edward picked up and swung around an exuberant Maggie. "Whoa B, you look like momma!" She said as she hugged my legs tentatively.

"It's okay Anna, that means that my babies are growing like your little sister." I told her as I bent down to hug her.

Skylar walked over hand in hand with Rosalie who had what looked like a huge sheet/purse draped over one shoulder resting against her side.

Emmett had Tori and Lilly strapped against his chest, side by side. Alice and Jasper waved as they went another round on the ferris wheel.

"Where's Sariah?" I asked once Rosalie had gotten close enough.

She gestured to what I had thought was a huge sheet/purse. "She's snoozing."

We spent about an hour letting the girls ride the carousel while we ladies shopped before we all headed back to the house, stopping for dinner on the way.

Monday, July 2, 2012

EPOV

Of one thing I was certain from this day forward; I would never, EVER let tiny Alice Brandon Whitlock plan my kids' birthday parties.

It was amazing what the woman could do in the matter of thirty six hours. She had only been in town a little over forty eight hours at this point and had worked miracles with the birthday party that I was hiding out from at the moment.

It was mine and Tori's birthday celebrations today, mainly Tori's. Tori was turning two today and I had turned twenty seven back in June.

I think the entire petting zoo was camped out in my backyard. We had baby cows, pigs, rabbits, ducks, ponies, sheep, and goats camped out in my backyard. I had to admit the baby animals were cute. They had been here since early this morning. The calf had already broken out of the makeshift pen four times already, the damned goats kept eating the flowers and the ducks kept trying to waddle towards the water. Don't forget about the dog. Sammy was having a fucking heyday with all the baby animals, but she was driving me crazy with her incessant barking and she kept leading the ducks to the pond. I was currently hiding out in what used to be my favorite spot as a kid.

My mom had built in a small bed on top of the bookshelves in the library that nobody knew about unless we told them. I hadn't even told Bella it was there but I was currently listening to her call my name as she searched for me.

I dug my phone out of my pocket and texted her, hoping she had her phone on her.

_Getting warmer, love – Edward_

_Where are you? – Bella_

_Keep looking, you are really warm – Edward_

I heard her call out again, she was right outside the door. "Edward?" She called again opening the door, I knew she wouldn't be able to see me from where I was at but I could see her.

_Really HOT, love. –Edward_

"Dammit, Edward. Where are you?" She ground out in irritation.

_You know you are going to have to watch your mouth once the babies are here –Edward_

She gasped as she read the screen of her phone. She looked around trying to find me but she never looked up and I decided to give her a break. "Look up, love?" I whispered.

She did and saw my foot sticking out. "How did you get up there?"

I chuckled and climbed down to show her. "The bed is built into the attic above the shelves; use the ladder the get up there, there is a small platform built behind the shelves" I explained to her as my feet touched the ground.

"I never knew that was up there." She exclaimed. "Can I get up there with you?"

I smiled and nodded. "Be careful of the steps though, they are small and steep." I explained to her as I put a hand on her hips to help her.

Once we were over the top of the bookcase we had to climb down three more steps to reach the floor. "This is one hell of a hideaway, barman. When were you going to tell me about it?" She asked as she surveyed my space. It had a couch, bean bag chair from my teenage years, small refrigerator, and a myriad of junk that was up here from when I was a kid.

"Umm…now?" I asked as I tugged her down into the beanbag chair with me causing her to squeal and laugh.

"Smooth, Edward, why exactly are you hiding out? It's your birthday celebration."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I just needed a break. Besides, does it look like anybody's missing us?" I asked her as I gestured to the window beside us.

She looked and then shook her head. "Not really. But it's still your party as well as Tori's."

I nodded. "I know, love, I just needed a small break to get my head together. It's tough celebrating a birthday here without my parents." I confessed to the real reason why I was hiding out.

"Oh, I didn't even think of that. I'm so sorry!" She said as she began crying.

"Hey, now, none of that. Its okay, love. I just needed a few minutes to myself." I told her as I rubbed a hand up and down her back calming her back down.

"Tell me a memory." She asked quietly.

"My mom had this room turned into a library when I was about eight or nine and had this little nook fashioned for me. When I was about fourteen, I fell asleep up here and my mom thought I was with a friend so she was frantic when night fell and I wasn't home yet and hadn't called either. I remember waking up to her sitting down there in that chair worried about me as my dad paced outside the door calling all of my friends looking for me. I jumped up and tried to scramble down the steps too quickly and half asleep."

"Oh no, what happened?"

"Why do you think that broken arm didn't really faze me any?" I asked her quietly.

She gasped when it dawned on her that I hadn't really complained all that much about my arm being in a cast. "You had broken it before?"

I nodded. "I broke it when I fell about halfway down the ladder. I fell into a heap at my mother's feet and she was so ecstatic over me being here the whole time that she forgave me instantly for worrying her. My father wasn't so forgiving. He hid the ladder for almost 6 months until he realized that I was climbing the shelves to get up here." I told her as I listened to the kids screaming and laughing from outside.

She just laughed. "I don't think I want our kids to know about this hideaway. Are there anymore secret hideaways in this house?"

I nodded guiltily.

She gasped and turned to look at me. "Where are they?"

I smiled. "They are all in this room, actually. There is a half bath hidden behind the second bookcase behind the door." I told her as I tugged her into my chest and ran my palms over our sons as they kicked their mother harshly. "Boys, behave; quit abusing your mother." I chastised them softly.

Bella just giggled quietly until we heard Jasper shouting for us. "Edward! Bella! Where are you guys?!" I placed my finger over my lips and gestured for her to follow me.

I stood up and moved the beanbag to the side to reveal a secret hatch door. I pulled it up quietly as Jasper called to us again from the doorway to the library. "Edward, Bella? Where did you guys go?" We both chuckled silently as we descended down the narrow staircase. Bella's baby stomach almost made it impossible to fit but we managed.

"Where does this go to, Edward?" She asked as we came to another hidden door that she had never noticed before.

I just laughed and listened as I heard Jasper stomp back down the stairs before I opened the door and walked into the linen closet in the hallway. "Wow! I thought that was to the hot water heater or something!"

I laughed. "No, love, all of that is in the basement." I told her as I opened the door that led to the hallway and saw that it was clear to come out.

We no more than made it halfway down the stairs when Alice caught us. "Found them, Jazzy!"

We both groaned as Alice grabbed us by the hands tugging us back outside.

It was nearly eleven before I crawled into bed beside my sleeping wife and dog. The fucking cow broke the gate down again and chewed through the rope I had around its neck. I had finally told Alice to call the fucking farm people to come get their animals tonight. She readily agreed because I made her help me chase all the fucking animals around the yard and gather them back up.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

BPOV

I groaned as I rolled over onto my side for about the millionth time before sighing and easing Edward's arm off of me before climbing from the bed.

It was getting progressively harder to sleep for long periods of time but I was beginning to get exhausted easily too. The boys usually decided to start kicking when I laid down to go to sleep which made sleep evade me most of the time.

I snatched my phone off the nightstand and made my way downstairs with Sammy following right behind me. She had taken to following me around lately, much to Edward's chagrin.

I texted Bree and Angela a happy fourth, but didn't get any response back. I grabbed a glass of orange juice and went to sit outside so I could watch the sunrise. I curled up in one of the deck loungers with Sammy curled up beside me.

I was woken up a little bit later by the chirping of my phone. Sammy whined, got up and went to do her morning business.

I wrinkled my brows as I read the cryptic message displayed on my phone.

_Edward and his mother used to read Where the Red Fern Grows all the time. I thought it would be nice if you read it to your boys too. You can find it in the library, 2__nd__ bookcase, 5__th__ shelf, 7__th__ book from the right. – Emily_

I didn't reply back but went inside to make myself a transportable breakfast before going on my treasure hunt.

I grabbed my bagel and made my way up to the library quietly since I was the only one up. I quickly found the book, walked to the linen closet and went to Edward's secret hideaway. Sammy had gone back to bed with Edward.

When I opened the book I immediately knew what the text was all about. There was a rather thick envelope tucked in the book with a feminine scrawl on it that must have been Edwards mom's writing.

I didn't move the envelope, but turned to the first page and began reading to Jayden and Ryder.

EPOV

I was sitting there staring at the picture that my lovely wife had snapped when she came in earlier. I was sitting in my cargo shorts and t-shirt with a bright pink/yellow boa draped around my neck, fake earrings hanging from each ear, and a big pink hat perched sideways on my head as I sat on a tiny pink chair. Emmett was worse off, they had put makeup on him, draped him in a rainbow colored feather boa and put a huge flower in his hair as well as earrings in his ears. Jasper had saved himself from a little embarrassment when he had dug out his cowboy hat and the girls had just added a flower to it, but he also had a lime green boa tossed around his neck and makeup on, but no earrings though. Even Sammy was decked out with a boa and a little hat perched between her ears.

Thankfully nobody had spotted those embarrassing pictures of me on the stairway wall, yet. I would add this one before we went home at the end of the month but today was going to be a fun day spent with my friends before they went home tomorrow.

Fourth of July in Chicago was a big deal and it started early in the day with a White Sox baseball game followed by music festivals in the park, a boat tour and fireworks on the Navy Pier. My phone chirped from its spot on the coffee table and I grabbed it and smiled when I saw the message.

_I know you, my boy, you can't resist a fourth in Chi Town without a White Sox game. I took a chance and bought you nine tickets for you and your friends. You can pick them up at the gate. –Emily _

_Thanks Emily. I was wandering how we were going to all sit together. – Edward._

_You are very welcome my boy, I love you. Have fun, your parents would want you to. – Emily_

_Love you guys, too. –Edward_

I bounded up off the couch and up the stairs where I knew I would find my wife hiding out in the library with a new book. She had become a regular bookworm since we got here.

"Love?!" I called as I reached the landing where my father's office used to be. It didn't hurt so much now when I saw the empty desk with my laptop sitting on it.

"In here." She called from the library like I figured she would.

I chuckled and walked in there but didn't see her so I knew she was up top in my hideaway. "What have I told you about climbing this ladder without me here?" I lightly chastised.

She just laughed and rubbed a hand over her bare stomach. Her shirt was laying on the bean bag chair and she was in her shorts and bra stretched out on my couch. "I didn't use the ladder, babe."

I nodded and sat down propping her feet in my lap. "Guess what?"

"What?" She said as she laid the book down across her chest.

"I got us all seats to the White Sox game today."

She snapped the book shut then as her eyes widened. "I've never been to a live ball game before; I only watched it on TV with my dad."

"Well you get to go today. The games starts at one."

She nodded and laid the book to the side. "Great, what do I need to wear?"

I shrugged my shoulder. "Something comfortable? It's hot outside and we are going to be sitting in the sun for about four hours."

She nodded and made to sit up but I held her legs steadfastly. "We've got a little bit, love. Are you excited for the fourth in Chicago?" I asked quietly.

She nodded and bit her lip. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "I had a minor panic attack this morning, but I'm okay now. I came to the realization that my parents would want me to live life to the fullest and not dwell on the past."

"I found something in this book when I opened it up earlier. It's addressed to you in a feminine script." She told me as she picked the book back up and I saw that it was _Where the Red Fern Grows_, my favorite as a young boy. It was worn from being handled so much by both my mom and me.

I took the book and held it to my chest as tears sprung to my eyes. "My mom used to read this to me when I was little and gave it to me for my tenth birthday for safe keeping even though I always kept it in the library." I told her as I turned the book over and over in my hands and I saw the edge of an envelope sticking out of it.

"I was reading it out loud to our boys; maybe it can be a tradition I can carry on with Jayden and Ryder." She said rubbing a hand over her glistening taught stomach.

I nodded and flipped the book open to the page that held the envelope. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I saw that it was stuck on the part where the mountain lion is beginning its attack. It was my mom's handwriting on the envelope. "My mom wrote this to me." I whispered to Bella as she just smiled back at me gently.

"Open it, love. My dad wrote me a letter also and it helped me a lot; maybe this will help you, too." She said quietly and I nodded tugging the envelope out of the crease of the book and handing it back to Bella.

I turned the envelope over and over in my hands debating on whether I wanted to open it today or not. I finally decided to just open it and see what she had to say to me. I took a deep breath and opened the envelope pulling out the papers from within.

I glanced at Bella and she smiled encouragingly at me. I unfolded the papers, took a deep breath and began reading my mom's beautiful handwriting.

_My sweet boy,_

_Mothers love to celebrate their children, especially when they reach important milestones. Today is a big one for you – you are healing from my departure from this earth long before I was ready. I want to celebrate today, my son who brought me immeasurable joy. It's bittersweet, because I am no long with you._

_Confronted with the news every child fears the most, we all respond in our own unique way. And that is okay. But one of the things we have in common is the need – the hunger- to remember, to pay tribute, to mark significant days._

_You were always so excited for life after high school, and I am so proud of the amazing young man you must have become._

_Edward, you were a joy to raise. You were a precious and calm baby, a cuddly and lovable toddler, a gift from God to our family. You used to ask me "Mom, will you marry me?" I smile as I remember the countless times you asked me that._

_Your sweet and gentle spirit is a beautiful thing to behold. As you grow, you watch and listen, curious about everything, wanting to learn, asking so many questions, and pressing every button your fingers could reach._

_I cherish the memories of our relationship, knowing how blessed I am to be your mom. Remember when you helped me celebrate my 50th birthday? I look back so fondly on that time – hand-gliding, fantastic memories on the boat, dancing to Gwen Stefani , singing our song '4 in the morning' forever makes me smile._

_They say you don't know what you've got until it's gone, but I hope that's not your reality. Edward, words are inadequate for me to tell you the sheer wonder your father and I felt in having you in our lives._

_It saddens me to know that I at least, am no longer with you in this world. If you are reading this letter then I have left this world for another. You, my sweet boy, my miracle, my sunshine, deserve the world and I hope that you have found it._

_I wish all the happiness in the world upon you, my son. I hope that you find a young woman, not too soon though, that will make you feel how I feel about your father. I hope you have many children to know the immediate love you can feel for such a tiny human being._

_Tomorrow will be the beginning of the end of your baseball career. I remember when you were just 3 years old tossing a baseball back and forth in the backyard and tomorrow you are playing in the state championships._

_I wish you all the happiness and luck in the world my son, but you are calling for your dinner now._

_So I will end this letter with an I love you and if you do happen to find this letter before I replace it then I hope you will cherish each and every memory that we have had together and you can share them with your family so that they know us as well._

_"It's strange indeed how memories can lie dormant in a man's mind for so many years. Yet those memories can be awakened and brought forth fresh and new, just by something you've seen, or something you've heard, or the sight of an old familiar face."_

_Goodbye, my sweet boy._

_Love, your momma_

I folded the letter up and wiped the tears from my cheeks as I looked at my beautiful wife and she just smiled at me and held her arms out for me. I cuddled into her side, laying my head on her chest as she stroked a hand up and down my back calming me down. "I love you, Isabella." I whispered.

"I love you too, Edward."

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**Please don't kill me if I made you cry, just review and let me know what you think!**


	20. Chapter 20

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Chapter 20

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

BPOV

I could still feel the exhilaration pumping through my blood as I walked hand in hand down the sidewalk with Edward. The baseball game had been absolutely amazing and nothing like I had thought it would be like. I wished that my dad would have been able to go to one while he was alive, he would have loved it. I had seen a different side to Edward as we sat watching the game. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and scrutinized almost every play.

After the baseball game we had a chill out time lying on blankets listening to a variety of bands playing on the stage while the girls ran around us waving mini American flags. I noticed Edward kept glancing at his watch over and over as the sun set around us. "You okay, Edward?" I asked quietly.

"I'm fine, but I have a huge surprise for everybody." He whispered in my ear so the girls didn't hear.

It was just us, Em, Rose, and the girls because Alice had an emergency come up at work during the ballgame and they hit the first flight back home. We had all skyped earlier today with George and Margaret to wish them a happy 4th, they had been sad that they missed out on both Tori's birthday and the 4th holiday but Em and Rose promised that they would come spend a couple of days with them when they left tomorrow.

Anna suddenly plopped down in beside me exhausted from all of the running around. I swept her sweaty bangs off her forehead gently. "B, is your baby gonna be a girl like mama's?" She asked as she laid her head against my stomach.

I laughed. "No, sweetheart, but I get to have two babies at one time. They are both little boys." I told her quietly.

"I've never had a little brother before. Can I be a big sister to them?" She asked looking up at me through big blue eyes.

I smiled at her. "You can all be big sisters to the boys, if you want." I told her as the music started winding down.

"Okay, we have to find four more horses for all of you since Trixy's other pony went to pony heaven."

I chuckled because I remembered their tradition of giving the next born foal to the newest member of the family. Trixy, Anna's horse, had twin foals but one was too small and couldn't breathe on its own and died within a couple of hours. With all the babies being born into the family plus me still needing one, there seemed to be a waiting list.

"It's okay, Anna. Are any of the other horses pregnant?" I asked her quietly.

She nodded. "Yeah, Ali, Mama, and Skylar's horsies are all having babies too."

"See, that's perfect! One horse for each baby." I told her.

"What about you B?"

"I can share Eddie's horse until I can get my own." I placated her.

She nodded and began dozing off.

The rest of the girls were getting whiny cause they were sleepy too. "Guys, I think we are going to get the girls back to the house. They've had a busy day today." Emmett said as he stood up and began placing kids in the two strollers they had brought with them.

Edward stood up and began helping him. "You sure you don't want to watch the fireworks?"

Rosalie laughed. "Oh we're sure. Lilly hates them and Sariah is too little for the big booms. We haven't gone to watch a big fireworks show since Skylar was born."

I nodded in understanding. "Okay then, we will see you guys when we get home, okay?" I told Rose.

She just smiled at me. "You won't see me until tomorrow, B. I'm exhausted too. This baby wears me out a lot quicker than the other ones did. Something feels different about this one, but the doctor said everything is okay with her."

I nodded and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Everything really okay?" I asked her quietly.

She nodded. "Yeah this baby is already the size Sariah was when she was born. I guess she's just gonna be a big one. It would be really weird if we have the baby's at the same time." She said as she gripped Emmett's hand and he hauled her off the ground. She was huge compared to me but we were actually only about a week apart in the conception dates.

"That would be really cool, Rosie." I told her as Edward helped me up by putting his arms under mine and lifting me up. "You guys be careful getting back to the house and we will see you in the morning."

They both nodded before each pushing a stroller back across the parking lot.

"Where are we going, Edward?" I asked swinging our hands between us.

"It's a surprise love, be patient." He said with a smirk firmly in place.

We walked along the sidewalk until we came to a marina and Edward turned us to go down the plank dock. "Edward, I think the fireworks are back that way." I told him pointing back toward the Navy Pier area.

He just laughed. "I thought we could see the fireworks from a different perspective than I used to do every year."

I nodded and followed along willingly since he was so eager and excited about this. "We're going on a shoreline cruise and will see the fireworks from the water. You game?" He asked quickly.

I smiled and nodded. "Absolutely."

"Edward? Is that you son?" An elderly man in white linen pants and a light blue polo shirt with a white captain's hat perched on top of his head.

"Marcus! I didn't know you still ran these tours." Edward said as he jumped aboard and hugged the guy tightly.

"I do. It's been way too long since you've been on these tours. Who is this lovely young woman?" He asked when he released Edward.

Edward smiled and hopped back off the boat. "This beautiful young woman is my wife, Bella. Bella, this is Marcus. We came here all the time for boat tours; I think my mom secretly had a crush on him." He teased as he helped me on board.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Marcus." I told the elderly man and extended him my hand.

He shook his head and wrapped me up in a hug. "Pleasure is all mine, Bella. You brought my boy back home." He said as he went back to the steering wheel to peddle us out into the open water.

I saw some more people standing on the dock wanting to board. "Marcus, I think you have more customers." I called to him.

He surprised me when he told them "Tours closed folks, my son has returned," before steering us onto the open water.

Edward guided me to the front of the boat and pulled a blanket from a hidden compartment and spread it out so we could sit down and prop up against the cabin. "Explain please." I begged him as I took in all the sights around us.

"My mom and I used to come out here all the time for tours when my mom realized I had an interest in architecture. Because my dad worked all the time, I came to Marcus for a lot of advice when I didn't want my parents' input. We have been coming as a family on his Fourth of July cruises since I was just a baby. My mom has yearly photos of the four of us somewhere. Marcus was always invited to our family dinners and any special celebrations we had." Edward explained.

"It seems like you have a lot of people who care a great deal about you in the windy city." I commented as I settled in and listened to Edward point out certain buildings and what he saw in them. I had never heard him sound so enthused or excited about something. I had to wander why he didn't build things for a living, so I had to ask.

"Why don't you build houses or something for a living, Edward? Instead of running clubs."

He took a deep breath. "Why build new things when I can restore old things? That's what I like doing; I guess I just got stuck in a rut until now. I was satisfied with being in the fire department and running Breaking Dawn."

I nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. So after we get Truth or Dare up and running what do you want to do then? Expand somewhere else? Start a restoration business? Restore old houses and sell them?" I rattled off as the possibilities in the future seemed endless.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know yet, love. I guess we will see what itches my fancy after the club is up and running smoothly."

I nodded and we settled back to finish the boat tour just as the first big explosion sounded off and the sky lit up in a myriad of colors.

Monday, July 16, 2012

EPOV

It has been almost two weeks since everybody went home and it has been nice just chilling out in Chicago, showing Bella all of my old haunts. Hell, I even took her to the high school and we tossed the ball around for a little bit. I showed her the exact spot on the side of the highway where my parents had been highjacked and murdered; I broke down that day.

Today I had a surprise for my lovely wife and it should be arriving about noon. When I had turned twenty years old I had started a non-profit fund for displaced teenagers who lost their parents due to tragic events. Every year the hospital that my father worked, for hosted a masquerade ball to raise funds for Cullen's Kids. I had never been, but I wanted to go this year and I wanted to take Bella with me.

I had taken the liberty of calling and begging Alice to design Bella a simple white floor length gown because I wanted the mask I had bought her to pop against her pale skin. She had long since lost most of her tan since our return from Hawaii. Alice had agreed but with a few stipulations of her own.

"What are you thinking about, barman?" Bella asked as she sat down beside me and propped her feet in my lap.

"Hmm…nothing much, love. This came for you today." I told her and handed her a silver envelope addressed to her.

She wrinkled her forehead in confusion. "Why would I get mail here? This is typed so it can't be from anybody we know." She mused in confusion as she turned the stiff envelope over in her hands.

"I don't know. It was just in the mailbox when I went to check it." I explained to her as I rubbed her feet causing her to moan aloud.

She stuck her tongue between her lips and ran her fingernail under the edge of the envelope opening it. She pulled out the silver and black invitation.

"A ball, Edward?" She asked confused as she turned it over and continued to read. I didn't say anything because it was all self-explanatory on the back. "In honor of your parents? What's Cullen's Kids?"

I chuckled and took the invitation from her. I had helped design it years ago but had never actually received one before.

_You're invited to celebrate a good cause._

_A MASQUERADE BALL_

_Society is a masked ball, where everyone hides his real character, and reveals it by hiding._

_- Ralph Waldo Emerson._

_In honor of the late Dr. Carlisle Cullen and Mrs. Esme Cullen_

_All donations accepted to help support Cullen's Kids foundation._

_Please join us tonight at:_

_Trump Hotel_

_Grand Salon Room_

_6 p.m._

_Don't forget your masks!_

"Cullen's Kids is a non-profit foundation I set up when I was twenty years old. It helps teenagers who have been displaced due to a tragic event. It has helped over 500 kids in the last seven years. It has even bought three different apartments that allow them a place to live." I explained to her as I handed back the invitation.

"Wow, that's awesome. Are we going?" She asked while leaning back against the couch.

I nodded and the doorbell rang right on time. "We are and I have a few surprises in store for you. Surprise number one is at the door right now." I told her and pointed to the front door.

She groaned and got up to go answer the door. It was noon and she was still in a sports bra and my boxers, our sons on glorious display.

"You know how I hate surprises, Edward." She groaned as she opened the door and then squealed in surprise.

One of the stipulations that Alice had requested was that be allowed to fly up here to help get Bella ready before flying back home tonight.

BPOV

I couldn't believe that Edward had done this. He brought me Alice to help me get ready for the Masquerade Ball that he had thrown at me suddenly.

"Ali, are you sure about this dress?" I asked yet again as I tugged on it a little bit.

She slapped at my hands, again, and fixed the dress. It was strapless with strips of silver jewels sewed in around the edge and again right below my breasts. It flowed out over and around my stomach and fell to the ground in soft waves.

"It's perfect, Bella. Stop tugging on it. Your boobs are tucked in and not going anywhere. I promise." She said as she continued to tug and pull on my hair.

"I just don't understand why he chose white, of all colors." I grumbled again.

"I chose white because I wanted your mask to pop against your dress." Edward said from the doorway surprising me yet again.

I glared at him. "You know, it's not nice to sneak up on your pregnant wife."

He just laughed and held out a fairly big box out to me.

"What's this?" I asked as I sat the box in my lap.

"Open it and look. Alice you may want to fix her hair after you tie this on." He said before he sauntered back out of the room.

I glared at his back before opening the box and gasping. "Oh." I said as I stared at the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

"Bella, that is beautiful. Let's put it on." Alice said from over my shoulder.

I nodded and easily extracted the mask from the box. I understood what he meant about the mask popping against my dress. It was absolutely breathtaking. The mask itself was stripes of gold, silver, black and teal. It had a huge display of bright turquoise feathers sticking out the right side and bending over my head. The feathers were held on by a gold brooch with turquoise detailing. It all tied together with turquoise ribbons.

"Be careful, Ali." I told her as I handed it to her.

She placed it over my eyes and I held it in place with gentle fingers as she parted my hair and tied the ribbon between the split of my hair. "Is that good? Is it gonna stay?" She asked quietly.

I leaned forward and sideways to see if it moved at all, it didn't. "It's perfect, Ali."

She hummed and went about pinning and styling my hair. "I'm gonna wind the ribbon through your hair so it pops a little bit of color in the back also, okay?" She suggested and I agreed that it would indeed look good.

It was almost an hour later when a knock from the doorframe caught my attention. I gasped again as I saw my husband standing there in a tuxedo and a black mask covering his eyes. He looked breathtaking.

"You look sexy as hell, barman." I told him as I stood up.

"Hmm… so do you, love." He said as he ran his hand down my sides and around our boys. "We've got to go, the car's here." He said with a wink over my shoulder to Alice. "Thank you, Ali. We will see you back home in a few weeks."

She agreed and began packing her stuff back up. "You guys have fun. I expect pictures from tonight." She said looking pointedly at me. I nodded. That was another of her conditions -pictures.

It was an odd experience walking in and not knowing anybody and them not knowing who we were either. "Do you recognize anybody?" I asked quietly as we headed towards the bar to get something to drink.

Edward shook his head. "Nope, but I think that's kind of the point. But, everybody who is important knows I am here. They have asked me to give a speech before dinner, so they will know who I am then." He explained quietly.

"I didn't know that." I narrowed my eyes at him. "You have been awfully secretive lately."

He just smirked and ordered us both alcohol free punch from the bartender.

We mingled around the room, nobody figuring out who Edward was. I felt him tense when somebody clinked a spoon against a champagne flute. "May I have everyone's attention, please?" The speaker said as he made his way to the platform sat up at the front of the stage. "We have a special guest among us tonight. It has been a long time since any of us have seen this young man. He is the reason for this foundation and it is a pleasure to welcome Dr. Carlisle Cullen and wife Esme Cullen's only son back to Chicago. Edward, it has been a long time and you are the ultimate success story. Please come forward since we don't know which one you are." He said and everybody chuckled.

He grabbed my hand and dragged me behind him as everybody separated to allow us space to pass as we made our way to the front of the room. I gasped when I realized he was intent on dragging me up on the podium with him but he was relentless.

When he was up there he tugged off his mask as he faced the crowd. "I just want to say a quick thank you to everyone who showed up here tonight in honor of my parents. It has been nine years since my parents were brutally murdered on the side of the road because they wanted to support my dream of playing ball. I was lucky that my parents were well off enough that I didn't have to suffer anything but emotional damage after their passing." He paused and looked at me.

"I founded this group when I was twenty old to help teenagers who are on the brink of adulthood and suffered a tragedy and didn't have the resources that I did. I don't consider myself a success story because up until recently I couldn't bear the thought of stepping foot back in Chicago more or less returning to my childhood home but my lovely wife has taught me that it is better to deal with the past instead of running from it. We are expecting our own children in a few months…" He smiled at me and placed our joined hands on my stomach "…and I know that my parents would give anything to be here to see them but they aren't able to so they will have to live on through my memories. I applaud anybody who is dealing with any tragedy and not letting it destroy them. It is tough and it has taken me nine years to deal with all of mine. I have one wish for Cullen's Kids and that is to be able to continue helping displaced teenagers well into the future. Thank you guys for coming tonight!" He said and held up his punch in a toast and everybody raised theirs briefly before taking a drink.

Edward and I stepped off the podium and enjoyed the rest of our night. It was spent mainly sitting down because my feet were killing me but we had a number of people come and chat with us at they caught up with Edward.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

EPOV

"Edward, this is ridiculous." Bella screeched at me with her hands on her hips as I sat on the doorsteps.

I shook my head at her. "It's not ridiculous, Bella. I'm not going in that garage, it hurts too much." I told her sternly.

She was currently standing in front of the open garage doors and I was sitting on the front door steps refusing to go anywhere near that garage while Sammy lay beside me asleep. The memories were too painful for me and I didn't want to deal with it. I know it sounded immature, but I honestly didn't think I could handle it emotionally.

"Edward, this is the last place that we have to conquer before we go home in a week." She argued with me.

It had been almost a month since we had gotten to Chicago and it had been wonderful to see all the people that were important to me and my parents so many years ago. I had even taken Bella to the cemetery to 'meet' my parents and also to introduce my sons to their grandparents. It was hard but exhilarating at the same time.

The garage was the only place on the property that I hadn't been to yet. "I know that, love. I just don't think I can handle it." I pleaded with her. "Sammy, tell her we don't wanna."

She walked over to me and sat on the step below me between my legs. "Edward, your father would not want you to avoid the garage just because of him. You have told me yourself that you and he spent a lot of free time in there beneath the hood of old vehicles restoring them."

I nodded and hung my head because I knew what she was trying to do and I also was smart enough to know that it was going to work.

"Okay, so why don't you just suck it up and go stand in the driveway. At least look in the garage, you don't have to go in yet, baby steps."

I took a deep breath and shook my head. "God, I hope our sons don't inherit your stubbornness. This really is childish Edward. I know it hurts and I know you are scared but I know you are strong enough to handle this."

I lifted my head and looked into her eyes. "Bella…"

She shook her head and stood up offering me a hand.

I begrudgingly took it and stood up as she led me to the driveway so I could look into the garage. It took my breath away as I looked in and saw my mom's shiny BMW sitting there along with the three empty bays that usually held my car and my dad's Aston Martin as well as a spot where we worked on restoring old vehicles. I took the truck that we were working on with me when I left Chicago and it sat in our garage on George and Margaret's property back in Texas.

I collapsed on my knees as the memories swamped me. I remembered my mom spilling groceries there when the bottom of the bag ripped open and apples and oranges rolled everywhere, we found them for weeks afterwards. I remembered my dad showing me how to change the oil in all of our vehicles. The first time I had changed the oil I had my head directly under the oil plug when I loosened it and had gotten a face full of oil.

I remembered me and my dad putting the fully restored motor back into our first antique vehicle. I had only been about eight or so.

I remembered my mom arguing with my dad that it was time for supper and we needed to come eat instead of worrying about those pesky vehicles.

I remembered sitting out here for hours listening to the radio in my car right after I had first gotten it, not like I didn't have a perfectly good stereo upstairs.

I remembered Sammy sitting in the seat of my car as I worked under the hood with my dad.

Speaking of Sammy, she came up and licked the side of my head whining. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her to my chest. "I know, my love, I miss them too." I whispered into her neck as I cried in earnest.

Bella gingerly sat down on the concrete beside me and rubbed a hand soothingly up and down my back while I dealt with my emotions and past.

Once I had dealt with the memories it wasn't so bad entering the garage and seeing all the tools laid out where we had left them. I started putting them back into the tool box and when I went to shut the top lid, I saw something taped to the top of it that caught my attention. My dad and I never shut and locked the tool box because one of us was usually out here at least a couple times a week. I don't know what made me shut it this time but I felt like it needed to be shut and locked away.

"Not again. I can't handle it again." I whispered to myself as I pulled the envelope off the outside of the toolbox lid. It was addressed to me in my father's sloppy scrawl.

"Another letter?" Bella asked as she bent down to scratch between Sammy's eyes.

I nodded and tucked it into my back pocket to read once I got back in the house. Once I had walked all through the garage and shared some memories with Bella I knew it was time so I hit the button to close the garage and made my way back inside the house.

Once Bella and I were settled on the couch, I opened the letter. "These must have been my mother's idea. I didn't even know they were doing these." I explained to Bella as I tugged out the crisp aged pages from within.

My son,

Just so you know this was all your mother's idea. I hid this letter in the one place that I figure you will never look since we never shut the toolbox. But, if you do happen to find it then I guess that means that I am gone and you are no longer using the garage.

I am writing this to you for three reasons…

Because your mother terrifies me and I usually do whatever she asks of me.

Life, fortune, and mishaps are unpredictable; nobody knows how long he lives. Some words are better said early.

I am your father, and if I don't tell you these things, no one else will.

We are heading to your last championship game tomorrow and I couldn't be more proud. I always thought that you would go to college to be a doctor like me but you decided that you wanted to study architecture and business and I am okay with that and just as proud. You always had the eye for intricate details, even at a young age.

First, I would like to tell you that I love you. I know I have told you this every day since you were a little boy, but a parent can never tell their child enough that they love them. I am very proud of you for the man that you will become, I know you are strong and you have great morals, values, and principles, something I hope your mother and I have instilled in you.

On all the occasions I moaned to you to tidy your room, to wash the dishes, to take out the bins and to take the dog for a walk was for a reason. I hope you see that now and I hope you know these little chores were teaching you the value of working together and being a part of the family.

Telling the truth can be hard sometimes, as you'll now know, and you will probably know that it's the right thing to do, always. Treating people how you would like to be treated is something I know you were always good at and something I so much wanted to instill in you. I hope you have carried this through your life.

Remember the time we used to toss the ball back and forth in the back yard, those are some of my best memories. The time when you swore you would never hit the ball, I was so proud of you when you sucked it up and kept trying until you eventually hit it.

My biggest wish for you, son, is that you are happy and comfortable with your choices in life.

If you are reading this ridiculous letter that your mother made me write then I never got to replace it and that means that I am no longer with you in this life.

I just want you to know that as my son, I love you more than the very breath I take. I will see you soon, son. I hope that you tell all of your future children about me and your mother, even the silly stuff because sometimes that is the best stuff.

Good luck in life, my son, my life, my miracle.

Love,

Your father

I folded the pages back up and tucked them back in the envelope for safe keeping. "I pray they don't have any more stashed around this house. I really don't think I can handle it." I told Bella as she wiped the tears from my cheeks.

"But was it good to hear from them?" She asked quietly.

I nodded and settled into the couch to do as my father had said. Tell my children all about him and my mom.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

BPOV

"Edward, is Sammy going to be alright down there?" I asked for what I am sure was the fiftieth time since we got to the airport almost an hour ago.

He groaned and nodded. "Bella it is only a two and a half hour flight. She will be fine. She seemed fine when they wheeled her away. She will probably sleep the entire time."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Well excuse me for worrying about YOUR dog. Will you be okay with our sons being put in the cargo area when we travel?" I snapped at him.

I immediately regretted the comment as soon as it was out of my mouth. He just laughed and threw an arm over my shoulder tugging me into his side. "I love you, Isabella. We are not travelling anywhere but to College Station for a LOOONG while."

I sniffled and nodded. "We still moving this weekend?"

He nodded. "Yeah, we are going up on Thursday to pick our furniture and stuff before the trucks come up on Saturday." He explained yet again.

I groaned. "It seems like that is all I have been doing is decorating houses all summer. Why can't I just order the stuff online and have it shipped to the house on Saturday?" I pleaded, even throwing in my best puppy dog eyes.

He just laughed. "Sounds great, love."

We settled in for the short flight home.

* * *

**I hate to say it but I feel like this story is winding its way towards the finish line. 3 maybe 4 chapters left until the end. I know it makes me sad too **

**:( **

**Leave me a review and let me know what you thought!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:SM owns it not me.**

* * *

Chapter 21

Saturday September 29, 2012

We had been in our house for almost two months now and I was still having a hard time finding things. It was frustrating but I absolutely loved the house and the yard, they were amazing. The pool in the backyard was the best feature if you asked me. Rose, Alice, and I were currently lounging on floaty rafts in the cool water while the guys manned the grill and Sammy bathed in her small kiddie pool.

"Bella, I am coming to your house every day until summer is over." Rose said as she splashed some cool water over her exposed stomach where the latest McCarty girl resided. She knew it was unrealistic to visit my pool everyday but a pregnant lady could dream couldn't they?

"Hmm… I don't know why we bought the house; I could live in just the pool." I told her as I too splashed some cool water over me so that I didn't burn so badly this time. My tan had pretty much come back, but I still tended to blister if I didn't keep a check on myself.

Alice didn't put anything into the conversation since she had her ear buds firmly planted in her ears ignoring us as she sunbathed. She had come in a sour mood; something was going on with her and Jasper. She would tell us when she was ready.

"I wish we could put a pool in at our place, but it would be too much of a hassle with the girls running around." Rose said quietly.

"I know I'm worried about this one when our boys get up to crawling and walking. Edward's going to have to put a fence or something around it." I told her as I gazed lovingly at my husband as he stood shirtless at the BBQ grill with Emmett and Jasper. Emmett appeared to be on the phone and Edward and Jasper seemed to be having a serious conversation. I prayed that Edward was getting to the bottom of the issue with our friends.

"I wonder when Ali is going to tell us that she's already married and trying to have a baby." Rose questioned changing the subject.

Edward had spilled his guts about it the second day we were living in this house to turn my anger off of him and onto Alice. But instead I had called Rosie and told her who in turn called Edward and chewed him a new asshole for withholding pertinent information.

Our whole argument had started over him leaving his dirty socks beside the bed causing me to have to bend down and pick them up, which was extremely difficult since my stomach prevented me from seeing anything in my walking path.

"I don't know, you would think she would tell us already." I commented. "It's not like it's a big deal or anything, I just don't understand why she's not telling us."

"So, what did you guys do for your birthday since you adamantly refused any gifts or parties?" Rose asked but was interrupted by Emmett cannon balling into the pool between Rose and me causing us to bounce off our rafts.

"Emmett, I swear to god if you weren't already getting your balls split open I would do it for you. Without anesthesia." Rose screamed at him once she had resurfaced.

I scowled at him as I stood in the deep end of the pool. "Emmett, you know I can't get back on this raft by myself, you idiot." I told him as I began my swim to the steps.

"I'll help you love and then I will help Rose castrate Em." Edward said as he slipped over the side of the pool and tugged my raft to him.

I continued to glare daggers at Emmett as he was rapidly apologizing to his very pregnant wife. "Thanks, barman, I appreciate it." I told Edward as he approached me slowly in the water.

"No problem, love but I need to talk to you for a minute first." He told me quietly tugging me into him the best my stomach would allow.

"What's up?"

"Jasper's lease is up in two weeks and they need a place to live; that's what's wrong with Ali. What do you think abo-"

I had the perfect solution. "They can move into my old house." I interrupted him quickly.

He smiled, nodded, and picked me up in his arms and maneuvered the floaty underneath me. He groaned when he saw my ample boobs practically on display in my bikini that I had worn back in Hawaii. It had properly covered me then but not so much now.

"Bella, do you not have a bigger bikini, love?" He asked as he openly stared at me.

I nodded. "I do, Edward, but I like this one because it causes less tan lines." I told him saucily.

"You know what this bikini does to me, love." He said quietly.

I nodded and leaned forward to kiss him quickly on the lips. "I do, but too bad the doc said no sex." I reminded him quietly not wanting to alarm anybody else. Just last week the doctor had put me on moderate bed rest because I was dilated to two centimeters. I was almost thirty five weeks pregnant, but the doctor wanted me to keep the boys in for as long as possible.

Rose was hopeful that we would have our kids on the same day, but I was doubtful because from what Edward told me she was notorious for going past her due date and it wasn't until November first. I didn't see us lasting that long but I was doing whatever I could to protect Jayden and Ryder. Rose still complained that something felt off about this pregnancy, which is why she was making Emmett get a vasectomy while she recovered from childbirth.

"Don't remind me." He said as he pecked me lightly on the lips again before hopping out of the pool and going back to the grill so Jasper could jump in and cool off.

Alice was still floating in silence with her eyes closed because she was pissed off. I decided I was tired of the silent treatment and paddled over to where she was anchored in the shallow end. I splashed some water on her being mindful of the IPod she had tucked in her bikini top. "Hey!" She screeched as she opened her eyes and tugged the ear buds out.

"Don't you hey me, Alice Whitlock. This is my damned pool and you are being rude." I told her not catching my slip up until she gasped and slammed her hand over her mouth.

"How did you know?" She whispered to me with tears in her eyes.

"Your husband told my husband who gave it up when I was pissed at him - almost two months ago. Your husband spilled while we were in Forks. Everything." I told her as I glared at her.

"I'm so sorry, B. I just didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want to take anything away from yours and Rosalie's pregnancies." She whispered.

"Oh, it's not just Bella you need to apologize to, Mrs. Whitlock." Rose said from the deep end of the pool.

Alice groaned and threw her head back in exasperation. "I'm sorry, Rosie. I really am, we got married right after the accident. I just didn't know what I would do if I lost him. I understand now Bella, about being in the heat of the moment and just doing it." She explained.

I nodded because that is exactly how I ended up married to my wonderful husband. "Oh, you're forgiven you little pixie. Now, tell us what is bothering you today." Rose demanded as we situated our rafts on either side of Alice's tiny one.

She took a deep breath. "Jasper let his lease lapse and I gave my apartment up three months ago. I told the idiot to call the landlord last month, but did he do it? No. The landlord called this morning and told us we had two weeks to get out." She explained.

I smiled at her. "My husband spilled the beans on this, too, but I have the perfect solution for you, Ali. You and Jasper can move into my old house since it's still vacant." I told her as I splashed water on her causing her to squeal in happiness just as Jasper began slipping in the pool.

"Cupcake…" He whispered as he sat down on the steps beside her and she glared at him before throwing us a devilish smirk that told us she was going to make him pay for his stupidity just a bit longer.

EPOV

I could tell when Alice and Jasper got here that something was wrong because Alice didn't say a word to him. She just hugged my neck before going straight out to the pool where she ignored Rose and Bella, too.

"Jazz, what is wrong with Ali?" I asked him as I placed the hamburgers on the grill. Emmett stood off to the side on the phone with his garage.

Jasper groaned and hung his head. "She's pissed because I forgot to call my landlord and ask him for another lease on my condo even though she reminded me last month and he called this morning saying we had two weeks to move since my lease was up."

"What are y'all going to do?" I asked him quietly.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, Edward. Two weeks isn't enough time to find a house, put an offer down, and close on it."

I nodded in understanding because it had taken us over a month to close on our house. "I may have a solution for you, let me talk to Bella first, but she may be up to selling you her house." I told him just as Emmett raced for the pool causing the girls to scream in anger at him.

"Okay, thanks Edward, I appreciate it, man." He said as he clapped me on the shoulder and took the spatula from me taking over the grill.

I headed towards the pool as I watched my wife shoot daggers at Emmett who was trying to defend himself from Rosie.

After Jasper slipped into the pool by Alice I assumed everything would be smoothed over until I heard her scream at him. "How could you tell them without me?"

Needless to say Jazz had a shit load of sucking up to do and he was doing a fine job of it while I manned the grill.

Just as I was plating the burgers I felt Bella's arms wrap around my waist from the side. "Your sons are hungry, barman."

I chuckled and called to my friends who were still sucking up to their wives. "Dinner's ready guys."

We all headed inside to eat.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

BPOV

I groaned as I eased up from the bed, trying my damnedest not to wake Edward up. Just because his kids wouldn't let me sleep didn't mean I wouldn't let him sleep. He had been working his ass off with the building the new club was going in. He was trying to get most of the grunt work done before the babies got here so that he could take a few weeks off to help me out with them.

I eased myself up to the bathroom, and then into the nursery that we had just completed last week. We still needed all the little stuff for the boys but I wanted to wait until I had my baby shower before we went and bought anything. All we had bought was the furniture and wall decorations. We had settled on having a monkey themed nursery and had commissioned a local artist, Zafrina, to paint a wall mural. It was beautiful with the tree painted in the corner and up onto the ceiling with branches stemming out over both cribs that sat on opposite walls of the tree. Off of each branch was a monkey and the boys' names painted above their cribs.

Other than the cribs, changing tables, car seats, dressers, nightstand, and rocking chair, the room was completely empty. I sat in the rocking chair, propped my feet up and picked up _Where the Red Fern Grows_ and began reading it to the boys hoping to calm them down so I could go back and snuggle with their daddy before he had to get up and go back to work.

I had never realized how much work he put into renovating old buildings, but he was adamant that certain features of the early 1900's building be preserved and worked his ass off to do it. I became so engrossed in the book that I didn't hear Edward shuffling into the room until he spoke.

"Boys keeping you up again, love?" He whispered and nearly made me jump out of the rocker.

"Jesus, Edward, you are going to send me into early labor sneaking up on me like that." I scolded him as I laid the book back on the nightstand.

He just chuckled and folded himself onto the floor beside me. "Sorry, love, I didn't mean to sneak up on you." He placated.

I just chuckled and rubbed a soothing hand over our boys. "Yeah yeah, I was trying to get your sons to go to sleep so I could go snuggle with their daddy."

"Really? Need me to talk them down?" He asked as his hand joined mine over where our son kicked forcefully against my stomach.

The boys were both laying head down and on top of each other so when they kicked it was usually up in my ribs and lung area and hurt like a bitch, but at least I knew that they were okay in there. I nodded at Edward to talk to them because it usually worked when he talked quietly to them.

"Boys, you need to listen to me for a minute. It is nearly three a.m. Even though you don't know what that means yet it, is time to go to sleep. Your mama needs her rest so that you guys can stay in there just a little bit longer, okay? Plus, papa wants some snuggle time with your mama, so can you boys please go to sleep for me? I love you more than anything in this world besides your mama. Goodnight, boys. Papa love's you." He whispered placing two kisses to the underside of my stomach as he stroked a soothing hand over it.

I sniffled and wiped the tears off at his sweet words to Jayden and Ryder. "Works like magic, every time." I told him as he stood up from the floor and held a hand out to me.

I took it and let him lead me back to our bedroom across the hall.

EPOV

Things at the club had been progressing slowly but greatly. I had decided to do an all age's club with two levels, both with bar areas as well as bathrooms. Doing an all age's club was tricky, but the key would be to ID everybody and stamp the ones under 21 on their hand as they walked in the door. It would take vigilant watching from me and my entire staff but I think we could make better profits this way.

Even though Bella tried all the time to ease out of the bed so that she didn't wake me up, it still woke me up when I searched out for her warmth. It was rather amazing; we haven't even been together that long, but I can't recall what life was like before she came along and I don't want to try. Once I had her and our boys settled back in the bed, I snuggled up behind her draping my arm around her and joining her hand against her stomach.

"I love you, Bella." I whispered against her neck.

Things continued to progress over the next few days but I was becoming irritated and frustrated at some of Bella's pregnancy quirks, like, not buying anything for the boys until after the baby shower, which was ridiculous. She could go into labor any day now and we would have nothing for the boys.

So, I had been buying little things and just keeping them stored in the trunk of my car. I didn't go all out, but I had found several outfits that I just couldn't pass up. I had sent pictures of the outfits to all the women that were coming to the baby shower so that they didn't buy the same outfits. They always texted back with huge smiley faces, but comments that Bella was going to kill me if she found out, but I told them that if they kept their mouths shut until the baby shower, she wouldn't find out.

Several days later, four in fact, Bella was put on complete bed rest when we found out that she was dilated to three centimeters, but showing no signs of going into active labor.

I did everything within my power to make her comfortable and happy, but there was nothing I could really do about her having to either lay in bed or on the couch all day long except for an hour a day for bathroom breaks.

"Baby, what can I do to make things better?" I asked my crying wife as she lay on the couch.

She shook her head and buried her head beneath the pillow. "Just go away, Edward. You are the reason I'm stuck on this damned couch in the first place."

I sighed and rubbed a hand down her back trying to soothe her. "I'm sorry, love, if I could take your place I would and you know that. And I'm not going anywhere until you are calmed down." I told her rather sternly.

She sighed and took a deep breath. "There, are you happy now? I'm fine and calmed down. You can leave and go to work now." She said as she tossed what I guess was supposed to be a believable smile.

I wasn't buying it. "I call bullshit, Bella. Now, tell me what the hell prompted all of this?" I asked her softly but firmly as I rubbed a hand up and down her back.

She growled, yes growled, at me in irritation. "I just hate being stuck on this damned couch or in the bed all the time when you get to go out and go to work. You could go anywhere you want to while I am stuck here all day every day."

I chuckled. "I understand, love, I really do. I can be here with you if you want me to. I can call and cancel all the contractors coming in today if that would make you feel better." I told her gently. It would set me back tremendously but I would do it if it would make her happier.

She shook her head. "That's okay, barman, I know you are needed at the club. I promise I will be okay; I am just a little frustrated. I didn't mean to take it out on you, I'm sorry."

"Isn't Alice and Rosalie coming over today for a swim and a visit?" I asked her softly.

She nodded. "Yeah, but I don't think Rosie's coming. She texted a little bit ago and said she is cramping and just not feeling good." She explained.

I nodded. "Yeah, this pregnancy has been weird for her since the beginning. You have a good time with Alice planning the baby shower, love. I love you." I told her as I kissed her gently on the lips.

She nodded. "Okay, tell Austin I said hello and try not to kill him today, okay?"

I laughed and agreed. Austin was a guy that I had hired to help me run Truth or Dare.

Friday, October 5, 2012

BPOV

"Edward, these are your kids too. If I have to suffer through this shower then so do YOU!" Bella practically screamed at me from her perch in our bed.

"Baby, I'm sorry, but I am needed at Truth or Dare. Today is an important day for the club, you know that, baby." I told her as I sat down beside her. Things had progressed greatly with the new club and today was the day the fire marshal and city inspectors were coming to give the approval and go ahead for us to start putting up drywall and stuff.

"I know, but I feel miserable being stuck in bed all day." She complained yet again.

"I know you do love, how about this? I will go to the club speak to all the official people and then come back here and join you at the baby shower? Will that work?" I asked her quietly as I ran a soft hand over our sons. I was amazed that she didn't have any stretch marks but she had been vigilant about the daily cocoa butter sessions and it had worked. She had a beautiful tan going and her stomach was shiny and occasionally I could see one of the boys' feet as he stretched and pressed against her stomach.

She nodded and sniffled. "Need help getting downstairs to the couch?" I asked her softly.

She nodded and we eased our way down the stairs and she took up her place in her mommy chair as I called it. It was one of those chair and a half's with an ottoman, all in a sage green color. "Alice will be here in a few minutes but I need to scram so that I can get back here soon, okay?"

She nodded and sniffed. "I love you, barman."

"I love you too, baby." I told her as I placed one last kiss on her lips.

I met Austin at the doors to Truth and Dare and we went inside to get started. Austin was only twenty one years old but had a shitload of ambition and had just graduated with his business degree from Texas A&M. He reminded me a lot of myself when I was that age so he was a pleasure to work with.

BPOV

I am kind of glad that the girls had talked me into having this baby shower, but I was hurting like nobody's business in my lower back and had been for several hours now. I groaned as another pain gripped my back and it caught the attention of Alice as she brought in the cake. Sammy actually raised her head off the floor at the sight of the cake but never moved from her pillow in the corner.

I had never had a dog when I was growing up but Sammy wasn't bad at all, even though Edward had her spoiled rotten. I was glad that our boys were going to have a dog to grow up with. I knew Sammy was getting old but after she passed we would definitely get another puppy for the boys even though we would all be heartbroken.

BPOV

I smiled at her and shook my head and she just smiled back. We had resorted back to our old ways now that they had settled into my old house in Houston and it was public knowledge about her marriage. I mouthed 'I'm fine, Ali' to her as she kept glancing at me with a worried expression on her face.

We proceeded through the cake and snacks and finally it was time for the best part - presents. But Edward still wasn't here and I was beginning to get worried that something had gone wrong with the inspectors or the fire marshal. I pulled out my phone and texted him to make sure everything was going alright, but was interrupted as he burst through the front door with a huge bag hanging from his fingers.

"Edward! What did you do?" I asked him as he walked to me with a huge smile on his face.

"I went baby shopping, love. You can't tell me no this time since it's the baby shower." He said cheekily as he leaned down and laid a smooch on my lips that caused all the ladies around me to awww at us.

I playfully scowled at him and held my hand out for the bag. "It figures you would find the perfect excuse to buy stuff for the boys. I had good reasons for not wanting to buy anything yet besides the furniture." I told him as I grabbed him by his tie and tugged him down for another kiss.

He complied before laying the bag in my lap before he took a seat on the arm of my mommy chair. I dug my hand into the bag and just as I grabbed the first thing in the bag I felt a searing pain shoot through my back and my pants became soaked.

I gasped, dropped the bag and looked at Edward with shocked eyes. I guess our sons were determined to make an appearance at their baby shower also. "It's time." He whispered as a smile appeared on his face.

All at once everybody jumped into action. Alice ran upstairs to grab mine and Edward's bag. Rosalie called the hospital to let them know we were coming. Edward helped me up and to the bathroom so I could change my pants and panties. Angela started escorting everybody else out the door. Bree grabbed my socks and shoes and helped me put them on.

We were soon on our way to the hospital back in Houston. We knew that with this being our first pregnancy that we should be able to make it there in time since it was a little over an hour's drive. We had never switched hospitals since I really liked the doctor and the hospital in Houston.

Pretty soon I was up in my room and ready to kill Edward every time a contraction gripped me, it was even worse since I had opted to go au natural.

Seven hours after I had been admitted to the hospital, thirty minutes of pushing, and Edwards soothing voice helping me through the labor and delivery, we welcomed our two bundles into the world.

EPOV

I couldn't believe it but Bella had done it, she successfully delivered both of our boys naturally. I couldn't believe it and I don't know if I wanted to attempt anything like that, but she was absolutely amazing.

As the nurses took the boys to get cleaned up and get their immunizations, I fired off a quick text to our entire family letting them know that the boys had arrived and were perfect.

_Jayden Carlisle Cullen born at 11:52 p.m. on October 5, 2012, weighing in at 7lbs 4 ounces, 19.2 inches long and Ryder Charles Cullen born at 12:02 a.m. on October 6, 2012, weighing in at 7lbs 2 ounces, 18.7 inches long. Mama's doing perfectly!_

Bella laughed as my phone immediately started beeping like crazy. "I tried to tell you that would happen. Ain't no way in hell they went to sleep knowing we were here." Bella said from her bed, looking beautiful but worn out.

I hung my head. "I know you did, love. I'm just so proud of you and them. Can you imagine how big they would have been if you carried them to their original due date?"

She groaned. "I don't even want to imagine it. Hell, I am almost 4 weeks early and they are still over seven pounds each."

I chuckled. "I know, but you did an amazing job." I told her as I sat down on the edge of the bed so we could both see my phone.

_Damnit man, those are some big babies. Tell Baby Bell that she is super woman in my books! – Emmett_

_Congrats, guys, love the names. –Jasper_

_Aww, how sweet. Congratulations to you both. You will have to bring the boys to visit when they are old enough. – Emily_

_Edward Cullen, I will kick your ass if you marred that amazing body of hers. Congrats! – Bree_

_I am bringin' all the shower gifts to you tomorrow to open! Congratulations on the boys! – Alice_

_I am trying to stop Alice. Congratulations B! Too bad we didn't get what we wanted! – Rosie_

_Congratulations, B! I will come see you tomorrow! – Angela_

_Congrats my boy, those are some big babies. You will have to bring my grandsons out to meet us in a few weeks. – Margaret & George_

"Wow! I hope Rosie stops Alice from bringing all those gifts up here." Bella groaned as she laid her head back.

I nodded and kissed the side of her head. "Tired, love?"

She nodded. "Sleep then. I will wake you up when they bring Jayden and Ryder back." I told her and got up from the bed.

She nodded again but patted the side of her bed. "Lay with me, papa?"

"You sure, love?" I asked, worried that I would hurt her.

She nodded and scooted over a little bit and I laid down carefully beside her.

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**The babies are here! Yay!**

**Leave me a review and let me know what you thought about the chapter!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Time to settle into a routine with the baby's now and maybe some loving for momma/papa.**

**Disclaimer:SM owns it not me.**

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Chapter 22

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

BPOV

Today was a big day for several reasons. The first being that tomorrow was our first Thanksgiving together as a family. The second being that I was on my way to the doctors to get the green light for the go ahead to resume sexual activity with my sexy as sin husband. The third being I get to show off my awesome cooking skills, that I hadn't really gotten to show off yet. The fourth being that Edward was officially putting up the 'Truth or Dare' sign outside the club today and was doing interviews for the wait staff and bartenders.

We were all set for the official opening night to be New Years' Eve. Everybody was super excited for it. We all had babysitter's lined up for that night so we could all be there. I was leery to leave the boys with anybody but Rosie recommended Selena so I was almost certain that if she could handle Rosie's girls she could handle my two boys.

In the six weeks since their birth, the boys had changed so much. They had filled out so much since the day we brought them home. I thanked the good lord above that Rosie knew how to handle newborn babies. She was a godsend those first few days home from the hospital. She pounded it into our heads that we needed to set the boys on a routine from day one and they would get used to it and stick to it. I was skeptical but it actually worked.

When we had first come home from the hospital they woke up about every two or three hours hungry, but now they usually only fed about every four or five hours and ate more at each sitting. Jayden had really filled out since we had brought him home. He now weighed 12 pounds 3 ounces and was 24 inches long, with shaggy copper hair like his father. I could never manage to keep his hair brushed down for very long; I even tried putting baby lotion in it but it still didn't work. He had dark brown eyes like me though.

Ryder was the total opposite in looks; he had very little hair but what he did have was dark brown and laid flat to his little head and big green eyes. Ryder was a little smaller than Jayden but not by much. Ryder weighed 11 pounds 14 ounces and was 23 inches long.

Yesterday when we took them for their six week check-up, I was concerned about them being so big, but the doctor said they were perfectly healthy and to keep doing whatever I was doing. Today, it was momma's turn to get checked out while papa took the kids to work with him.

He was interviewing for wait staff and bartenders today and had offered to take the boys with him.

After I got the go ahead from the doctor, I texted Alice for some help since Rosie was busy with their surprise little bundle of joy. Despite the ultrasounds during their pregnancy, they got a huge surprise in the delivery room when the doctor held up a squealing little boy. Emmett finally got his boy and Rosie relented and let him keep his balls intact. They named the little fellow Grayson Lucky McCarty.

_Ali, I need your help. I got the green light – Bella_

She texted right back.

_Come to the shop, I got the perfect thing for you! – Alice_

I quickly hopped in the car and made for Alice's shop that I had driven by a million times but had never actually been inside either of her shops. I was kind of excited.

I pulled up in front of 3m: Me, My and Mine and smiled as I saw Alice standing in the open doorway waving frantically.

After spending an hour with Alice, I was armed to the nines with flattering lingerie that would hide my less than flat stomach.

"I don't know what you are worried about Bella, Edward looks at you like you are something to eat. Plus, your body looks amazing for having had twins just six weeks ago." Alice said as she walked me to my car.

"Things are not as tight as they used to be, Alice. You will understand when you have a baby of your own." I told her softly.

"I know, Bella, and honestly I can't wait." She said sadly.

"I know sweetheart, it will happen for y'all when you least expect it. Miracles happen every day. Just look at Emmett and Rosie." I told her thinking about how they got the shock of their lives when Rosie delivered their baby just days after Jayden and Ryder were born.

"I know, I think we are just trying too hard or something." She said sadly. "We are going to the fertility doctor next week."

"That's great, Ali. Hopefully everything turns out okay for your guys." I told her honestly as I climbed back in my car and headed home to College Station.

I decided to stop by Truth or Dare and see how things were going.

I gasped as I saw the long line of people standing outside the front door when I pulled up into the parking lot of the club.

I got out, tossed my purse over my shoulder, locked my car and headed straight for the front door.

I heard the ladies whispering about me as I passed by them saying things like I didn't have the looks to make this club look good and that I was too frumpy to be a bartender or waitress. Just when I had my hand on the door handle, the girl at the front of the line put her hand on my arm.

"Hey, lady, I don't know who you think you are, but I am next in line." She said snottily.

I just laughed at her. "I happen to be the owners' wife and you just signed your termination papers before you even got hired. Take a hike." I told her as I shrugged off her hand and yanked open the door. I heard several other people in line oooh the woman as she left and say that she got told.

I went on inside and smiled at what I saw. Edward had Jayden cuddled against his chest as his foot rocked Ryder who was sitting in his car seat. "Need an extra set of hands, barman?" I asked as I approached him and the four other guys who were sitting around one of the tables.

He smiled brightly at me. "Hello to you to beautiful."

I leaned down and pecked him lightly on the lips before I smiled at the guys sitting on the other side of the table. "Gentleman, this is my lovely wife, Isabella. Baby, this is Kevin Walker, Sean Jacobs, Michael Gier, and Santiago Magana." He said as he pointed to each guy as he said their names.

"It's nice to meet you gentlemen. Please call me Bella though." I told them as I shook each of their extended hands as they greeted me in turn. "Can I do anything?" I asked my husband.

He sighed. "Can you do the waitress interviews? Tanya is upstairs doing a walkthrough since she hasn't seen the whole place finished as it is yet."

I nodded and headed off to find Tanya. "Tanya!" I hollered as I topped the staircase.

"Over here, Bella!" She called from the far corner.

I walked over and saw her spread out on one of the couches that lined the walls. "Comfy?" I asked her with my hands on my hips.

"Very. Wherever did he find these couches? They are like lying on a bed of cotton." She commented as she stretched before getting up and making her way to me.

"A local woman, Zafrina, the same one that painted our nursery designed and made them." I told her.

She nodded. "That's great. I need her to make me one for my living room."

"I will give you her number before I leave today. Edward wants us to do the waitress interviews." I told her as we headed back downstairs.

She laughed. "He only wants us to do them so that he doesn't have to mess with the hoard of college students waiting outside those doors." She said as we stepped off that staircase.

"You are 100% correct, Tanya." Edward said without ever looking at us.

I headed towards the door and cracked it open and groaned; the girl I had just told to leave was still standing there. I opened the door further. "I thought I told you to leave?"

I asked the girl quietly, trying to not make a scene. She just rolled her eyes at me. "You may be the owners' wife but that doesn't give you the authority to hire or fire me." She said as she twirled her bleach blonde hair around her finger.

I just laughed at her. "Oh but sweetheart, did I forget to tell you I am in charge of hiring the waitresses and I'm not interested in you."

She had the audacity to gasp in astonishment. "Whatever." She said but still didn't budge.

I rolled my eyes at the audacity of the young woman. I turned and stuck my head back through the door and gasped when I saw Edward standing there angry. I nodded at his unspoken question of did I need help.

I took Jayden from his arms and we stepped out together. "Ladies, can I please have your attention for a moment?" Edward said rather loudly at the group of ladies.

A hush fell over them. "Thank you. I am going to use this young lady right here as an example for a moment." He said to the crowd and bent down to the young woman that was giving me the trouble. "What is your name, sweetheart?" He asked her nicely.

"Krissy." She said and batted her eyelashes at him. I had to bite my lip to keep from busting out laughing at what I knew was coming.

"Okay, Krissy here is a prime example of what NOT to do or say to my wife." He said to the crowd who all snickered at Krissy. "Krissy, you are not welcome back at this club in any capacity. Do you understand me?"

She huffed and turned around and walked off. "Thank you ladies for coming out today. This is my wife, Isabella and she and one of my employees will be conducting your interviews today. I appreciate your cooperation." He said to them before he kissed me gently on the lips and took Jayden back out of my arms. "Love you, angel."

"Love you too, barman." I told him as he went back inside and I turned to face the young ladies in front of me. "Okay ladies, if any of you are under twenty one years of age then I am sorry but you can't work here and need to come back on your twenty first birthday." I told them and about ten girls left.

"This job is going to be hectic and hard, so anybody who thinks they can't handle a fast paced work environment needs to excuse themselves now." I told them again and four more ladies left.

"Okay, we will begin interviews in groups of four." I told them and tapped four women randomly to follow me inside.

After four hours of interviewing, two diaper changes, one feeding session, and one grope behind the curtains from my husband later, we had our employees lined up on the lower level. I cradled Jayden against me as he sucked greedily on his bottle and Edward was feeding Ryder as he faced his new employees.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to welcome you to the newest club in College Station, Texas. Truth or Dare. It is an honor to be able to work with each and every one of you. Those of you who are in college please bring me a copy of your schedule and I will do my best to work around it. We are aiming to open on New Years' Eve and before then I need you to put in ten, eight hour shifts at my Houston club, Breaking Dawn. Out of those ten shifts, three of them need to be on Saturday, three on Friday, and the rest are of your choosing." He said as he walked back and forth in front of the employees. He shifted Ryder to his shoulder to burp him before continuing. "Tanya runs my Houston location so all shifts you take on need to be cleared through her and not me. I just need proof that you worked the shifts. You will be compensated for the hours worked. I expect each and every one of you to be self-sufficient when it comes time to open on December 31st. Now, most of you have met my wife but I would like to formally introduce everybody. You all game?" He asked them as he came back to stand between Tanya and I.

After introductions were made, we all separated and headed out.

EPOV

Today was a huge day for not just me but for my entire family. I got to hang the official sign up outside Truth or Dare, hired a new staff with the help of my wife and Tanya. But the best of all, my kids were healthy and my wife got the green light. You know what that means don't you? SEX. ACTUAL SEX, not just hand jobs or blow jobs, but actual sexual intercourse.

I placed Jayden gently down in his crib, hoping he would sleep for several hours yet because I wanted to ravish my wife. "Please be a good boy tonight, Jayjay, papa needs some loving from mama." I told my son quietly as I peeked into Ryder's crib and saw he was sound asleep still. "You too Ry, see you guys in a few hours. I love you guys more than the stars in the sky." I told them before backing out of the room and pulling their door almost all the way shut.

"You know telling our sons that you are about to ravage their mother is just wrong." Bella said startling me because she was standing in our doorway leaned back against the frame wearing the skimpiest outfit I had ever seen her wear.

"Oh Isabella, it may be wrong but I bet you won't be complaining in just a little bit." I told her as I snatched her roughly against my chest and sudden hardness.

"Nope, no complaints here, barman." She told me saucily as she jumped up and wrapped her legs around my waist and I gripped her butt in my hands. "Ravage away."

And I was not one to not listen to my wife's commands. "Oh, I intend to Isabella." I told her passionately before latching my lips to hers as I walked us towards the bed.

I gently laid her down on the bed and propped up over her on my elbows, our hips flush against one another. I groaned and pushed my hips further into hers so she could feel my swollen erection straining against my pajama bottoms.

"Oh, Edward…please…" Bella begged as she tossed her head side to side. I smirked as I bent my head down and latched my lips on that one special spot that I knew would drive her absolutely insane. I sucked on it, hard and her hips pushed up against mine as she gasped and her breathing became heavy and labored.

"No need to beg, angel, I fully intend to please you tonight." I told her huskily as I lay down over the top of her, our chests smashed together for the first time in months. "This is so nice." I commented quietly.

She nodded and wrapped all of her limbs around me, her ankles locked behind my back and her arms locked behind my head. "It is, but it would be so much better if we were naked."

I just chuckled. "You gotta let me go before I can get us that way." I told her with a quick peck to the lips and she dropped all of her limbs flat to the bed quickly causing me to laugh.

I laughed as I stood from the bed quickly shucking my pajama pants, boxers, and t-shirt while Bella quickly undid her bra and tossed it to the side. She had just hooked her fingers in her panties when I stopped her. "Uh uh. I will take care of those." I told her huskily as my fingers replaced hers and she closed her eyes and arched her hips up off the bed.

I slowly tugged the panties down and tossed them over my shoulder. I guess I was staring too long and caused my amazing wife to self-consciously put a hand over her breasts and stomach and close her legs tightly.

"What's wrong, angel?" I asked quietly as I knelt between her spread ankles running my hands up her shins to her knees and back again.

"I don't look the same as I did before the babies." She said quietly turning her head into the pillow.

"You look amazing to me." I told her and tried to nudge her knees apart but she held them tight.

"No, Edward. I have all of these marks and extra skin everywhere now." She mumbled quietly.

"You want me to tell you what I see?" I asked her just as quietly.

She nodded and cracked her eyes open to see me finally. "In your face I see the love you have for not only me but for our entire family." I told her causing her to smile slightly.

I reached down and captured her hands in mine. "Your hands reflect the love that you hold for all of us. They cradle our sons so gently when they need it. They bring me the utmost pleasure when you touch me, no matter how innocent it is meant to be." I laid her hands to the side.

I placed my hands on her shoulders and slid them down to her breasts that were admittedly not as firm as before her pregnancy but were not saggy by any means. "Your breasts show the signs of trying to feed our sons. It's not your fault they are little pigs and your body couldn't keep up. You remember how huge they got in the last month or so?" I asked her as I cupped a breast in each hand, my thumbs stroking over her nipples causing them to pucker.

She nodded and smiled at me. I released her breasts and ran my hands down her ribcage to her stomach. "The few stretch marks that you got, I can barely see. It wouldn't matter anyways because they are your tiger stripes of motherhood. They prove to people that you did whatever you could to protect our children." I leaned forward and placed a kiss on her taught stomach muscles.

She had lost all of her baby weight in the six weeks since the birth of our sons. I gripped her hips in my hands. "You are so slight; I'm amazed that you produced such big babies. Even though your hips are a little wider now, they are another mark of motherhood and your ass looks even more amazing now." I told her as I gripped her ass in my palms causing her to chuckle.

"You've always been an ass man, barman." She commented quietly.

I nodded, not even trying to deny it. I pushed her knees apart and ran my fingertips up the back of her thighs and back down on the inside of them.

My thumbs brushed the side of her slickness. "This is the most amazing thing ever right here. You birthed our boys out of here and did it with very little complaint." I told her as I ran one finger up and down her slick opening causing her to gasp out loud.

I slid a finger inside her and groaned when I could feel her gripping my finger. It had been way too long since I had been here. "Oh God, baby, it's so tight." I told her as my head fell forward to her stomach.

I joined another finger to the first and her hips bucked up off the bed. "Edward!" She said as she spasmed around my fingers. "So soon, baby?" I asked her as I moved my head down and sucked her clit between my lips triggering another orgasm to rock through her body.

After she had calmed back down I slowly removed my fingers causing her to gasp. I stuck my fingers in my mouth and licked her juices off as I slid up her body until I was eye to eye with her.

It was my turn to gasp when she reached down and took hold of my engorged cock and tugged me forward. "Now, Edward." She begged.

Who was I to deny my beautiful amazing wife? I groaned as my head slid against her slick heat. "Bella." I groaned and laid my head on her shoulder as she interlocked our fingers beside her head.

"I know, babe, it's okay." She soothed me as I pushed my hips forward and slid into her tight wet heat for the first time in months.

Several hours later we both lay gasping in the moonlight that streamed through our bedroom windows. "Wow!" Bella said quietly.

"Yeah." I said and rolled my head to look at her disheveled self just as our boys made their announcement that they were hungry. "I'll get them." I told Bella as I climbed from the bed, threw my boxers back on, and headed across the hall towards the nursery.

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**I'm so sorry for those of you who like the detailed sex scenes I just find them really difficult to write! Use your imagination!**

**Leave me a review and let me know what you think! **

**Only 1, possibly 2 chapters left!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Okay, I am sad to say that this is the final chapter of this story. I hope you have all enjoyed the journey with me. Thank you all so very much for the reviews that you have sent me, they are all greatly appreciated!**

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Chapter 23

Thursday, November 22, 2012

BPOV

I groaned as I rolled out of bed and it was only four in the morning and my babies, all three of them were still sleeping soundly. I had a turkey to cook and it wasn't going to cook itself. After I get all the food prepared, we were going to meet everybody at George and Margaret's for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, something I can't remember ever having.

I tiptoed downstairs with Sammy following slowly behind me and went about preparing the turkey so that I could pop him in the oven. It was a huge thirty two pound turkey. After I had the turkey prepared, I mixed together the cornbread mix for the Creole cornbread dressing that I would eventually put in around the turkey after he cooked for a few hours.

I was so immersed in my cooking, that I didn't hear Edward sneak up behind me until he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. "Happy Thanksgiving, love, it smells delicious in here."

I smiled and leaned back into his chest as I layered the sweet potatoes and marshmallows for the sweet potato casserole. "Happy Thanksgiving to you too, husband. The boys still asleep?"

He nodded into my neck. "Sleeping like the angels that they are." I chuckled because they could be far from angels when they wanted to be. "Can I help with anything?"

"Absolutely, you can…" We spent the next two hours working comfortably side by side in my amazing gourmet kitchen before the boys beckoned.

"I'll get them, love." Edward said as he washed his hands because he had just helped me stuff the turkey and spread the stuffing around it.

"Okay, their outfits are laid out on their changing tables." I told him as he kissed me on the cheek and headed upstairs.

"I'm on it; we need to leave in about two hours, so we need to get ready too." He reminded me as he walked into the boys' room.

I covered the two cheese squash casserole, the pumpkin pie, the cherry pie, the apple pie, the extra creole dressing, and the sweet potato casserole before heading upstairs to hop in the shower.

By noon we were on the road and headed to Cleveland, Texas for our first official Thanksgiving as a family.

EPOV

Friday, January 4, 2013

"Bella, what in the hell are you feeding these kids?" I asked her as I lugged Jayden's car seat into the photo studio. We were getting family pictures taken today and I couldn't wait.

She just laughed as she carried Ryder's with ease. "Same thing as always, barman."

I groaned and pushed open the door and held it open as she strolled through and straight to the counter as I settled down and took Jayden out of his carrier. It really was amazing how much they had filled out since being born, even more so in the last six weeks. "You ready to shine for the camera buddy?" I asked him and he just cooed back at me as he smiled broadly.

"Yeah, I bet you are." I told him as I kissed his chubby little cheek gently. "You are truly your mothers' son, Jayden Carlisle, with those big brown eyes of yours." I told him just to hear him coo at me again.

"We're all set, Edward." Bella said as she unbuckled Ryder from his carrier and straightened his outfit.

Bella had turned out to be an amazing mother. I don't know why she was ever worried about it in the first place. We were set to head to Chicago next week and then to Forks the week after that. We wanted to show off our babies and let the important people in our family meet our children.

"Let's do this then. My boys are ready to show off. Aren't you guys?" I teased Ryder as I settled Jayden next to him.

Bella shook her head. "You are so corny it's not even funny." She said as we got into position around our boys and took our first professional family photo. We had so many pictures of the boys and they were only three months old as of tomorrow.

"Sorry, love, fatherhood has indeed made me corny." I agreed as we switched positions for a different pose.

She just laughed and smiled for the camera.

BPOV

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

"Come on Ryder, splash with mommy." I told him as I splashed in the water of our pool. I had both boys in the pool with me while Edward dealt with a minor crisis at Truth or Dare. Today was the first day that our pool was empty. Besides us, usually Rose and her crew or Alice was hanging out in our pool. Alice seemed to spend most of her days floating in our pool since she was currently three months pregnant with her and Jaspers first baby.

"Mama!" Jayden hollered as he splashed vigorously in the water from his floaty.

"I see you, JJ. Mama's so proud of you!" I told him as I splashed him back causing him to giggle hysterically. Ryder soon joined in and was splashing vigorously.

They had grown so much in the past few months. I couldn't believe that they were going to be a year old soon, it didn't seem possible. They babbled almost constantly now even though you could only understand a few words every now and then. The most coherent words were mama and papa of course but whenever Rosie and her crew were around they babbled even more than usual and I couldn't wait until they really started talking so I could figure out what they were trying to say.

I loved staying home with them more than anything in the world, but I also missed teaching my students every day. I was contemplating on going back to teaching but I didn't know how to tell Edward. He had the club but he didn't spend his every waking moment there like he did at Breaking Dawn when I first met him. When the boys had turned six months old, Edward had gone back to work at the fire station as a volunteer fire fighter. He had even worked a few shifts in the last few months when emergencies came up.

"What's got you looking so pensive, love?" A silky smooth voice asked from behind me causing me and both boys to whip around.

They began screaming "Papa! Papa!" at the sight of him and he just smiled at them as he stripped his shirt off and toed his shoes off.

"I was just thinking. How is everything at Truth or Dare?" I asked as he slipped in the pool much to the delight of his sons.

"Everything is fine. You know Austin and Ariel were dating, right?" He asked as he pulled Jayden from his floaty.

"Yeah, what about them? Are they the ones causing the problems?" I asked him as I took Ryder out of his and dunked him under the water causing him to giggle uncontrollably.

"Nope, Emily is jealous and was refusing to work with them. I told her she could either work with them or not work at all and that the choice was hers." He explained as he dunked Jayden.

I laughed. "Let me guess, she chose work with them?" I asked.

He nodded and we played with the babies until we all got hungry.

We ate a quick dinner and put the boys down for a short evening nap before settling in the hammock he had hung up for me at the beginning of summer. "Edward, can I ask you something?" I asked him quietly.

"Sure, love, what's on your mind?" He asked as he cuddled me into his side gently.

"Iwanttogobacktoteaching." I rambled off quickly causing him to laugh.

"You might want to repeat that, love, you sound like our sons."

"I want to go back to teaching in the fall."

"Then go, I will watch the boys during the day. They are almost a year old anyways." He said easily.

"Okay." I said quietly as we settled in for an afternoon nap of our own.

EPOV

Monday, October 5, 2015

I couldn't believe it our boys were turning three years old today. It seemed like just yesterday I was holding them in my arms for the very first time.

"Bella, you okay in there?" I asked my wife as I knocked on the bathroom door.

"No, I'm not fine." She barked as she yanked open the door and slapped a little white stick against my chest. "I'm pregnant." She said before she walked off down the hall towards the kitchen and our family.

I smiled as I held the little white stick in my hand that confirmed what she had just told me. "Papa, what that?" Jayden asked as he walked in the bathroom.

"Your little brother or sister." I told him as I helped him wash his hands so we could have cake and ice cream.

"Un uh. My bubbi an sissy in der, papa!" He said as he washed his hands.

I chuckled. "I know they are, buddy, but it looks like mama and papa is going to have another baby." I told him as I sat him down. They called Rose and Em's kids their brother and sisters.

"Like Rosie n Ali?" He asked just as Ryder walked in to get his hands washed.

"Yes just like Rosie and Ali. Now go find mommy so we can have cake and ice cream." I told him as I helped Ryder wash his hands.

"You ready for some cake and ice cream, buddy?" I asked him as I toted him back into the kitchen.

"Yes, papa. Cake yummy!" He said as he rubbed his tummy.

I chuckled at him as I joined my entire family for my son's third birthday celebration.

BPOV

Monday, June 20, 2016

"One more push, Mrs. Cullen, and your daughter will be here." The doctor said from between my thighs.

I took a deep breath and pushed with all my might trying to bring my daughter into this world on her papa's birthday.

"That's it, sweetheart, she's almost here." Edward cooed into my ear as he stroked my sweat soaked hair back from my forehead.

I nodded but didn't break my push. "…9…Here she is!" The doctor said as he held up our slimy bloody daughter.

"You did it, love!" Edward said as he kissed me gently as the nurse laid my daughter on my chest to rub her dry. "Chloe Esme Cullen, welcome to the world, baby girl."

"She's amazing, Edward!" I told him as I watched our daughter as she got cleaned up without so much as whimpering.

"She is, love, I love you." He said as he kissed me again.

"I love you too, barman. Happy Birthday!" I told him before shoving him towards our daughter who was being weighed and measured in the corner of the room.

Tuesday, March 16, 2032

EPOV

I groaned as I saw all of our children walk up on the stage that had been placed at the edge of our yard. Jayden, Ryder, Chloe, Allana, and Rachel all smiled at us as Jayden clinked his spoon again his glass. "I think our children are about to embarrass us, love." I told my amazing wife of twenty years as of today.

She just laughed. "They stopped embarrassing me a long time ago, Edward."

I laughed, too and pulled her more firmly into my side so we could listen to our children give their speech.

Allana cleared her throat gaining the attention of our closest friends and family that had gathered for this joyous celebration. Allana and Rachel were a surprise fifteen years ago, but we loved each and every one of our children. "I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for coming today to help us celebrate the twenty years of their marriage." She said in a clear voice.

"Our parents had a very unconventional wedding twenty years ago today, but they beat the Las Vegas statistics and have remained happily married." Rachel said clearly causing everybody to laugh.

"Throughout the years, they have remained loyal to each other, their children, and their family no matter what." Jayden said loudly.

"When Rosie had Em hiding in the closet threatening him when she found out she was pregnant yet again, he called mom and dad to come save him and they went without question and saved his manhood." Ryder said causing Em to groan, Rosie to laugh, and their kids start asking why mommy had daddy hiding in a closet.

"Whenever anybody needs them they are there. We couldn't be more honored to have them as parents. Even though they have been tough on us at times, it was all for a good reason and we love you for it." Chloe said.

"We love you mom and dad. Happy Anniversary!" They all said together as everyone around us cheered loudly as we celebrated our twenty years of happiness.


End file.
